ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA: A FRESH APPROACH TO DELIVERING NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVY MESSAGES TO TEENS

ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA: A FRESH APPROACH TO DELIVERING NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVY MESSAGES TO TEENS

By Deniele Lemire

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Mary Ellen Camire

A Lay Abstract of the Thesis Presented

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the

Degree of Master of Science in Food Science

and Human Nutrition

August, 2012

Keywords: Social Media, Adolescent, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Facebook

Adolescent obesity is a national concern that affects health, well-being, and quality of life. Study objectives were to learn social media and internet usage habits of Maine teens, perceptions of a healthy weight, and motivators for healthy lifestyle behaviors to provide the framework to develop positive social media messages around food, nutrition, and physical activity (PA). Subjects (n=55; mean age = 16 years old; range 14-18 years old) completed a 90-minute focus group and a 10-item questionnaire. Nine focus groups (average size = 5) were conducted using a pilot-tested 14-question discussion guide. Focus groups were audio- and video-taped and tapes were transcribed word for word. Questions 1-5 and 11-14 were tallied and summarized and questions 6-10 were analyzed using the grounded theory approach to focus group data analysis. Chi-square statistical analysis was conducted for question five.

Results indicated teens’ preference for informal, internet-based resources for nutrition and PA information. Facebook was the preferred social media site among subjects.  The top three motivators for healthy lifestyle choices among teens in the current study were self-esteem, the desire to be attractive to the opposite sex, and athletic performance. Means to eat healthier and increase PA were identified by study participants and included improving the school food environment to encourage healthy eating, increasing PA opportunities during the school day, increasing access to recreational facilities, and increasing teens’ nutritional knowledge base and food preparation skills. Educational needs identified included healthy weight range standards, cooking skills, how to read food and nutrition labels, and suggestions for PA type and amount. Increasing the knowledge base of nutrition and PA areas identified through positive social media messages could promote behavior change and healthy lifestyle choices among Maine teens.

Results from the current study will be used to develop health-promoting social media messages to promote healthy weight maintenance and decrease the percentage of teens that are overweight and obesity. The current study is significant because it is the first to this researcher’s knowledge to determine the type, method of delivery, and preferred medium of health-promoting social media messages geared specifically to Maine teens.