Peer-to-Peer Social Media Communication About Dietary Supplements Used for Weight Loss and Sports Performance Among Military Personnel: Pilot Content Analysis of 11 Years of Posts on Reddit
BackgroundOver 60% of military personnel in the United States currently use dietary supplements. Two types of dietary supplements, weight loss and sports performance (WLSP) supplements, are commonly used by military personnel despite the associated serious adverse effects suc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2021-10-01
|
| Series: | JMIR Formative Research |
| Online Access: | https://formative.jmir.org/2021/10/e28957 |
| _version_ | 1797735646837604352 |
|---|---|
| author | Kendall J Sharp Julia A Vitagliano Elissa R Weitzman Susan Fitzgerald Suzanne E Dahlberg S Bryn Austin |
| author_facet | Kendall J Sharp Julia A Vitagliano Elissa R Weitzman Susan Fitzgerald Suzanne E Dahlberg S Bryn Austin |
| author_sort | Kendall J Sharp |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundOver 60% of military personnel in the United States currently use dietary supplements. Two types of dietary supplements, weight loss and sports performance (WLSP) supplements, are commonly used by military personnel despite the associated serious adverse effects such as dehydration and stroke.
ObjectiveTo understand peer-to-peer communication about WLSP supplements among military personnel, we conducted a pilot study using the social media website, Reddit.
MethodsA total of 64 relevant posts and 243 comments from 2009 to 2019 were collected from 6 military subreddits. The posts were coded for year of posting, subreddit, and content consistent with the following themes: resources about supplement safety and regulation, discernability of supplement use through drug testing, serious adverse effects, brand names or identifiers, and reasons for supplement use.
ResultsA primary concern posted by personnel who used supplements was uncertainty about the supplements that were not detectable on a drug test. Supplements to improve workout performance were the most frequently used.
ConclusionsOur pilot study suggests that military personnel may seek out peer advice about WLSP supplements on Reddit and spread misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of these products through this platform. Future directions for the monitoring of WLSP supplement use in military personnel are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:02:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1717399182674f21b610e76ad478261e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2561-326X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:02:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Formative Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-1717399182674f21b610e76ad478261e2023-08-28T19:27:33ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Formative Research2561-326X2021-10-01510e2895710.2196/28957Peer-to-Peer Social Media Communication About Dietary Supplements Used for Weight Loss and Sports Performance Among Military Personnel: Pilot Content Analysis of 11 Years of Posts on RedditKendall J Sharphttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3962-311XJulia A Vitaglianohttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0316-9752Elissa R Weitzmanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1299-0008Susan Fitzgeraldhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9159-0306Suzanne E Dahlberghttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5139-831XS Bryn Austinhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0830-5293 BackgroundOver 60% of military personnel in the United States currently use dietary supplements. Two types of dietary supplements, weight loss and sports performance (WLSP) supplements, are commonly used by military personnel despite the associated serious adverse effects such as dehydration and stroke. ObjectiveTo understand peer-to-peer communication about WLSP supplements among military personnel, we conducted a pilot study using the social media website, Reddit. MethodsA total of 64 relevant posts and 243 comments from 2009 to 2019 were collected from 6 military subreddits. The posts were coded for year of posting, subreddit, and content consistent with the following themes: resources about supplement safety and regulation, discernability of supplement use through drug testing, serious adverse effects, brand names or identifiers, and reasons for supplement use. ResultsA primary concern posted by personnel who used supplements was uncertainty about the supplements that were not detectable on a drug test. Supplements to improve workout performance were the most frequently used. ConclusionsOur pilot study suggests that military personnel may seek out peer advice about WLSP supplements on Reddit and spread misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of these products through this platform. Future directions for the monitoring of WLSP supplement use in military personnel are discussed.https://formative.jmir.org/2021/10/e28957 |
| spellingShingle | Kendall J Sharp Julia A Vitagliano Elissa R Weitzman Susan Fitzgerald Suzanne E Dahlberg S Bryn Austin Peer-to-Peer Social Media Communication About Dietary Supplements Used for Weight Loss and Sports Performance Among Military Personnel: Pilot Content Analysis of 11 Years of Posts on Reddit JMIR Formative Research |
| title | Peer-to-Peer Social Media Communication About Dietary Supplements Used for Weight Loss and Sports Performance Among Military Personnel: Pilot Content Analysis of 11 Years of Posts on Reddit |
| title_full | Peer-to-Peer Social Media Communication About Dietary Supplements Used for Weight Loss and Sports Performance Among Military Personnel: Pilot Content Analysis of 11 Years of Posts on Reddit |
| title_fullStr | Peer-to-Peer Social Media Communication About Dietary Supplements Used for Weight Loss and Sports Performance Among Military Personnel: Pilot Content Analysis of 11 Years of Posts on Reddit |
| title_full_unstemmed | Peer-to-Peer Social Media Communication About Dietary Supplements Used for Weight Loss and Sports Performance Among Military Personnel: Pilot Content Analysis of 11 Years of Posts on Reddit |
| title_short | Peer-to-Peer Social Media Communication About Dietary Supplements Used for Weight Loss and Sports Performance Among Military Personnel: Pilot Content Analysis of 11 Years of Posts on Reddit |
| title_sort | peer to peer social media communication about dietary supplements used for weight loss and sports performance among military personnel pilot content analysis of 11 years of posts on reddit |
| url | https://formative.jmir.org/2021/10/e28957 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kendalljsharp peertopeersocialmediacommunicationaboutdietarysupplementsusedforweightlossandsportsperformanceamongmilitarypersonnelpilotcontentanalysisof11yearsofpostsonreddit AT juliaavitagliano peertopeersocialmediacommunicationaboutdietarysupplementsusedforweightlossandsportsperformanceamongmilitarypersonnelpilotcontentanalysisof11yearsofpostsonreddit AT elissarweitzman peertopeersocialmediacommunicationaboutdietarysupplementsusedforweightlossandsportsperformanceamongmilitarypersonnelpilotcontentanalysisof11yearsofpostsonreddit AT susanfitzgerald peertopeersocialmediacommunicationaboutdietarysupplementsusedforweightlossandsportsperformanceamongmilitarypersonnelpilotcontentanalysisof11yearsofpostsonreddit AT suzanneedahlberg peertopeersocialmediacommunicationaboutdietarysupplementsusedforweightlossandsportsperformanceamongmilitarypersonnelpilotcontentanalysisof11yearsofpostsonreddit AT sbrynaustin peertopeersocialmediacommunicationaboutdietarysupplementsusedforweightlossandsportsperformanceamongmilitarypersonnelpilotcontentanalysisof11yearsofpostsonreddit |