(OR07-06-23) Feasibility of Instagram to Engage Low-Income Individuals With Evidence-Based Nutrition Education

Objectives: This study aimed to describe Instagram analytics across categories of posts to assess the feasibility of Instagram for engaging low-income individuals with evidence-based nutrition education.

Methods: We assessed nonpaid Instagram posts linked to the Healthy Family Connecticut website, an online platform that promotes evidence-based nutrition education. Local community partners regularly shared our Instagram posts, amplifying the reach to low-income individuals. Posting generally occurred 5 times/week. Analytics data published from February 2021 to October 2022 were exported from Insights to evaluate reach and metrics of engagement (likes, comments, shares, and users who saved the posts). The content was grouped into 4 broad nutrition education categories for the analysis.

Results: Posts (n=456) included those that promoted healthy eating (n=194, 42.5%), recipes (n=159, 34.9%), food resource management (n=57, 12.5%), and healthy behaviors such as physical activity (n=46, 10.1%). Posts were formatted to be visually appealing, with reinforcing pictures and standard color for background and text, including long videos (n=35, 7.7%), multiple images (n=341, 74.8%), single image (n=35, 7.7%), and reels (short, entertaining videos; n=45, 9.9%). Instagram posts reached a total of 142,403 users with a median (IQR) of 106.5 (82.0-151.7) per post. The most users were reached with reels (total: 96,006; median [IQR] per post: 508.0 [175.5-1763.5]), but with significant skewness across post format and nutrition education category. Recipe posts reached a total of 91,819, while those promoting other healthy behaviors reached 5,546. Posts promoting other healthy behaviors appeared to have lower engagement (median [IQR]: 7 [4-11.2] likes) than did food resource management posts, which had higher engagement, with a median of 10 likes (IQR: 6.5-15.0).

Conclusions: The analytics support Instagram as a feasible way to reach and engage users and amplification by agency partners supports reach to low-income individuals. Reels and those with recipes and food resource management appeared to have the greatest reach and engagement. Further research is needed to explore how entertaining post features drive engagement with and dissemination of evidence-based nutrition education.

Funding Sources: Partial support by USDA Food and Nutrition Service/CT Social Services