Growing and Managing Online Communities

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In the 2016, September edition of the Journal of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Tony Peregrin writes about the growth and expansion of online communities.  With social media use increasing from 8% in 2005 to 72% now, it is important for registered dietitian nutritionists to use this platform to broadcast nutrition information to online communities.  Social media is a great method to reach out to people and build a following.  Online communities are present in a variety of networking sites including Facebook, You Tube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even smart-phone applications.

Social media can be an important tool for clinicians and health care providers to deliver accurate information to community members about treatment, diagnosis, nutrition information, and etc.  The majority of people research health related question on the internet, which is not always the most reliable method due to non-accredited sources.  Another benefit for clinicians using social media accounts is to stay up-to-date with new research.  Social media provides a place to post the latest findings; for example, Twitter and Facebook can be used by Medline to share articles of recent scientific research.  Online communities are rapidly growing; today’s culture involves reaching people through a screen.  Health care providers and other organizations should manage their online communities and social media accounts to deliver accurate and resourceful information to their following.

Management of online communities is especially important for dietitians to foster.  The science of nutrition is constantly changing and there are a lot of self-proclaimed “nutritionists” trying to dupe people into thinking trendy diets are the best method to weight loss.  These “diets” could also be potentially dangerous and there is no evidence based research to corroborate their statements.  Registered dietitian nutritionist can use social media platforms to provide safe and effective interventions for people as well as debunking nutrition myths and educating metabolically why these diets do not work.

Peregrin, T. (2015). Best Practices for Growing and Managing Online Communities. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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