The Effects of Social Media on Food Intake and Behaviour

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Sedentary Lifestyle; Hunger; Eating
• Interventions: Behavioral: Facebook; Behavioral: Colouring; Behavioral: Facebook + Food

• Registration Number: NCT02948816
• Lead Sponsor: University of Prince Edward Island

Brief Summary

Participants will be exposed to 3 conditions, in random order:

1. A Facebook page where 70% of posts are related to food.

2. A Facebook page where only 20% of posts are related to food.

3. A control condition (colouring quietly).

During each of the above conditions participants will be provided with identical snacks. The snacks will be weighed before and after each condition, to determine whether there is a change in food intake across the 3 conditions.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2016-10
• Study First Submitted: 2016-10-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-10-26
• Study First Posted: 2016-10-28
• Primary Completion: 2017-04
• Study Completion: 2017-08
• Status Verified: 2017-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-10-24
• Last Update Posted: 2017-10-26

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 10

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 18-25.

Exclusion Criteria

• None

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Facebook	Facebook	Participants will spend 30 minutes interacting with a Facebook page that is made up of 20% food-related posts, and 80% non food-related posts (news, sports, etc). They will be provided with bowls of snacks, which will be weighed before and after their session.
Colouring	Colouring	Participants will spend 30 minutes colouring. They will be provided with bowls of snacks, which will be weighed before and after their session.
Facebook + Food	Facebook + Food	Participants will spend 30 minutes interacting with a Facebook page that is made up of 70% food-related posts, and 30% non food-related posts (news, sports, etc). They will be provided with bowls of snacks, which will be weighed before and after their session.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Ad libitum snack food intake	30 minutes	Participants will be provided with snack foods based on a previously completed food preference questionnaire. The food will be weighed before and after each session to determine caloric and macronutrient intake.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Prince Edward Island; 🇨🇦 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada