Susceptibility to COVID-19 Nutrition Misinformation and Eating Behavior Change during Lockdowns: An International Web-Based Survey
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- The respondents’ views about certain substances, foods, nutrients, dietary approaches, and health practices in relation to the transmission, infection, protection, or treatment of COVID-19 (i.e., nutrition-health misinformation discernment).
- The self-reported influence of different interpersonal and generic sources of diet and nutrition information or advice on the frequency of changes in food and eating behaviors (i.e., reliance on an information source for making dietary changes).
- Trends in online information seeking and dietary change frequency amongst respondents whose interest in nutrition increased since the pandemic, compared to those whose interest did not increase (i.e., interest in nutrition, online information seeking, and dietary changes).
- The relationship between the use of information sources of varying quality for changing eating behavior and the proportion of misinformed views about food, diet, nutrition, and health practices concerning COVID-19 during the first-wave of lockdowns around the world (i.e., nutrition-health misinformation susceptibility when relying on lower versus higher quality sources for changing diet).
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design and Population
2.2. Ethical Considerations
2.3. Instrument Measures and Outcomes
2.3.1. General Demographics and Characteristics
2.3.2. Views about Food, Eating, and Health Practices Related to COVID-19
2.3.3. Eating Behavior Change Frequency per Information Source
- Eleven of these sources were interpersonal (individuals such as one’s medical doctor or GP, nutrition professionals, government officials, influencers followed on social media, family members, friends, colleagues, or peers).
- The other 11 were general sources of nutrition information or dietary advice (such as Google or Internet searches, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media, WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger, or other kinds of private messages, WHO, UNICEF, CDC, NHS, or other official government websites).
- Possible sources were listed in a randomly rotated order for each participant within a matrix-style question asking: “Since the COVID-19 outbreak, have you changed the way you eat or what you eat based on nutrition information/dietary advice from the following sources?”
2.4. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Misinformed Views about Food, Eating, and Health Practices Related to COVID-19
3.2. Eating Behavior Change Frequency per Information Source
Increased Interest in Nutrition and Subsequent Dietary Change
3.3. Proportion of Misinformed Views per Information Source for Dietary Changes
4. Discussion
4.1. Magnitude of COVID-19 Nutrition and Health Misinformation Held
4.2. Influence of Different Information Sources on Eating Behavior Changes
4.3. Dietary Changes Based on Information from Lower Quality Sources
4.4. Interest in Nutrition, Online Information Seeking, and Dietary Changes
4.5. Greater Misinformation Susceptibility when Relying on Lower Quality Sources for Changing Diet
4.6. Strengths and Limitations
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
References
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Statement | Misinformed Answers | Appropriate Answers | Unsure Answers | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Unfounded or Unproven Claims of Concern | % Who Regarded the Statement as being ‘Correct’ | % Who Regarded the Statement as being ‘Incorrect’ | % Who Were ‘Not Sure’ about This | |
S4 | You can protect yourself from the novel coronavirus by gargling bleach. | 3.3 | 89.2 | 7.5 |
S8 | It has been proven that taking 12 g (12,000 mg) of concentrated vitamin C daily can help remedy a COVID-19 infection. | 27.3 | 40.0 | 32.7 |
S13 | Ingesting colloidal silver drops can increase the number of immune cells in the body and disintegrate some strains of coronavirus within 12 h. | 10.5 | 42.7 | 46.8 |
S19 | It is safe to eat fruits and vegetables that have been washed with soap or diluted bleach to remove potential COVID-19 viral particles. | 43.1 | 40.6 | 16.3 |
Other Unfounded or Unproven Claims | % Who Regarded the Statement as being ‘Correct’ | % Who Regarded the Statement as being ‘Incorrect’ | % Who Were ‘Not Sure’ about This | |
S1 | Because the alcohol in vodka acts as a steriliser, taking a few sips can kill COVID-19 viruses sitting in the throat. | 7.4 | 69.3 | 23.3 |
S2 | The COVID-19 virus cannot resist heat and dies when exposed to temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F). Therefore, sipping hot beverages such as tea and broth can help neutralise it. | 29.3 | 48.1 | 22.7 |
S3 | Drinking water flushes all COVID-19 viral particles into the oesophagus and then the stomach, where they will be completely disintegrated by gastric acid. | 21.0 | 57.1 | 22.0 |
S5 | Gargling with warm water and salt, apple cider vinegar, or lemon in hot water can eliminate the novel coronavirus from your throat. | 27.1 | 47.3 | 25.6 |
S6 | Gargling with Listerine mouthwash can help reduce the risk of novel coronavirus infection due to its proven antiviral and antiseptic properties. | 17.5 | 52.6 | 30.0 |
S7 | The antiviral properties of garlic and ginger have protective effects against COVID-19. | 39.4 | 30.8 | 29.8 |
S9 | Antiviral herbs and spices such as chilli boost immunity and may help prevent novel coronavirus infection. | 39.7 | 31.7 | 28.6 |
S10 | Taking high-dose vitamin C and D supplements will stop you from catching COVID-19. | 14.7 | 67.6 | 17.7 |
S11 | Immune-boosting supplements such as zinc, green tea, oregano oil, Chaga mushroom blends, cow urine, bear bile, and echinacea have been shown to stop a COVID-19 infection. | 12.9 | 60.7 | 26.5 |
S14 | Cold drinks and cold foods such as ice-cream help the novel coronavirus remain active in your body for longer, so it is important to avoid these. | 19.6 | 59.2 | 21.2 |
S15 | Keep your mouth and throat always moist, as saliva can encapsulate and deactivate the COVID-19 virus. | 24.6 | 46.2 | 29.2 |
S17 | It has been shown that the novel coronavirus is foodborne and transmitted through the consumption of meat, even when the meat has been thoroughly cooked. | 5.6 | 75.3 | 19.2 |
S20 | Oreganol P73, from oregano oil, has a direct killing effect and ability to stop replication of the novel coronavirus in vitro. | 11.4 | 36.2 | 52.5 |
S22 | Eating non-acidic (i.e., alkaline) foods that have a pH level higher than the novel coronavirus (that is, above 8.5) can help neutralise it. | 14.8 | 47.5 | 37.7 |
S23 | Ketosis achieved through high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenetic eating helps activate immune T-cells in the lungs and provides a higher survival chance against the novel coronavirus than a carbohydrate-loaded diet. | 17.2 | 36.7 | 46.1 |
S24 | Only people who eat meat are affected by the novel coronavirus. | 1.1 | 93.2 | 5.7 |
S25 | A plant-based diet providing a variety of fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, and seeds can provide immunity against the novel coronavirus and help ‘flatten the curve’. | 39.7 | 38.7 | 21.6 |
Precautionary Guidance at the Time | % Who Regarded the Statement as being ‘Incorrect’ | % Who Regarded the Statement as being ‘Correct’ | % Who Were ‘Not Sure’ about This | |
S12 | Although the risk is extremely low, undercooked meat contaminated with active COVID-19 viral particles could be a potential source of novel coronavirus transmission. | 20.9 | 43.6 | 35.5 |
S16 | When your daily intake of vitamin C adequately supports your immune system, it might help you recover faster from COVID-19 than if you were deficient in this essential vitamin. | 6.9 | 79.3 | 13.8 |
S18 | To reduce the risk of transmission of coronaviruses through food, the consumption of raw meat, raw milk, or undercooked animal products should be avoided, especially during the peak of an outbreak. | 30.1 | 47.0 | 22.9 |
S21 | To reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, try to avoid direct contact with the person delivering groceries or packages, and wash your hands thoroughly after bringing in packages or grocery deliveries. | 2.0 | 95.8 | 2.3 |
Weighted Average of Answers across All 25 Statements (%) | 27.2 | 61.5 | 31.1 |
Frequency of Eating Behavior Changes per Source | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sources Used for Eating Behavior Changes | Never | Hardly | Occasionally | Repeatedly | Continually | WAVG * | Total Responses n | |
% | ||||||||
1 | Nutrition scientists, PhDs, and academics | 35.9 | 12.4 | 26.7 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 1.53 | 2675 |
2 | A nutrition professional | 39.0 | 11.5 | 25.2 | 11.8 | 12.5 | 1.47 | 2680 |
3 | Nutrition or health websites | 39.9 | 14.3 | 27.2 | 10.0 | 8.6 | 1.33 | 2684 |
4 | Scientific journals or science news publications | 42.6 | 14.6 | 24.6 | 10.3 | 7.9 | 1.27 | 2684 |
5 | Diet or health books | 48.7 | 14.3 | 22.6 | 8.0 | 6.4 | 1.09 | 2687 |
6 | Official government websites (WHO, UNICEF, CDC, NHS, etc.) | 51.7 | 14.2 | 18.0 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 1.07 | 2685 |
7 | A nurse or health coach | 51.1 | 14.5 | 21.9 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 1.02 | 2668 |
8 | My own medical doctor or GP | 54.3 | 15.0 | 17.6 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 0.96 | 2673 |
9 | Google or Internet searches | 54.4 | 14.9 | 19.8 | 5.7 | 5.2 | 0.92 | 2682 |
10 | Family members, friends, colleagues or peers | 52.1 | 18.1 | 21.0 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 0.91 | 2680 |
11 | Government officials | 57.7 | 15.7 | 16.4 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 0.84 | 2672 |
12 | Celebrity doctors or experts | 60.5 | 14.4 | 16.4 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 0.77 | 2667 |
13 | School, college, or university teachers or lecturers | 61.4 | 15.3 | 15.4 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 0.73 | 2665 |
14 | Film or TV documentaries | 63.3 | 15.8 | 15.6 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.65 | 2679 |
15 | Blogs or podcasts | 64.3 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 0.64 | 2673 |
16 | TV or radio news | 66.3 | 14.8 | 12.0 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 0.63 | 2666 |
17 | Online news outlets or magazines | 66.3 | 15.3 | 11.8 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 0.62 | 2679 |
18 | Influencers I follow on social media | 67.2 | 13.4 | 12.9 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 0.62 | 2679 |
19 | Gym instructors or personal trainers | 67.2 | 14.0 | 13.0 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 0.60 | 2670 |
20 | Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) | 69.2 | 13.1 | 11.4 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 0.58 | 2678 |
21 | Private messages (WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger, etc.) | 72.9 | 13.0 | 8.5 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 0.49 | 2677 |
22 | Famous personalities, actors, or presenters | 79.1 | 10.5 | 7.2 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.36 | 2664 |
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Ruani, M.A.; Reiss, M.J. Susceptibility to COVID-19 Nutrition Misinformation and Eating Behavior Change during Lockdowns: An International Web-Based Survey. Nutrients 2023, 15, 451. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020451
Ruani MA, Reiss MJ. Susceptibility to COVID-19 Nutrition Misinformation and Eating Behavior Change during Lockdowns: An International Web-Based Survey. Nutrients. 2023; 15(2):451. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020451
Chicago/Turabian StyleRuani, Maria A., and Michael J. Reiss. 2023. "Susceptibility to COVID-19 Nutrition Misinformation and Eating Behavior Change during Lockdowns: An International Web-Based Survey" Nutrients 15, no. 2: 451. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020451