Social media use by registered dietitians and pre-registration dietetic students in the UK and Ireland

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the dramatic rise in the use of social media (SM) to access health information and support, and the potential benefits and disadvantages to more active engagement by health professionals in this media, there has not been a comprehensive study of SM use by dietitians or student dietitians. This study aimed to define the uptake and use of SM by dietitians in the UK and Ireland. Methods: Informed by professional documents and literature, an online survey was developed and distributed to registered dietitians (RD) and student dietitians (SD) across the UK and Ireland. Questions were closed multiple choice and five-point Likert scale covering: demographic information; social media use; privacy and professionalism; opportunities, barriers and concerns about social media in dietetic practice. Means and percentages were calculated to estimate uptake and use. Results: 1005 responses were received: 753 RDs (8.5% of 8902 RDs in the UK and Ireland) and 252 SDs (15% of 1672 SDs studying dietetics). The majority (68%) were from England; others were from Republic of Ireland (14%), Scotland (9%), Northern Ireland (6%) and Wales (4%). 80% of RDs and 96% of SDs considered themselves users of SM. Overall 52% used SM for personal reasons alone, but 45% of SDs used SM for educational purposes and 41% of RDs used it for professional reasons. Whilst 36% of respondents were concerned that SM use by dietitians could undermine the public's confidence in the profession, the majority (66%) agreed that it is important that dietitians engage with SM to promote the profession. Conclusions: Registered dietitians are engaging with SM in their personal and professional lives. Student dietitians are very high users of SM. Inappropriate use of social media may have negative implications for the profession. Guidance and training should be further developed to ensure the opportunities are maximised and that risks are managed. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors of this document can confirm there is no conflict of interests.