Using Natural Language Processing to Explore Social Media Opinions on Food Security: Sentiment Analysis and Topic Modeling Study.

BACKGROUND: Social media has the potential to be of great value in understanding patterns in public health using large-scale analysis approaches (eg, data science and natural language processing [NLP]), 2 of which have been used in public health: sentiment analysis and topic modeling; however, their use in the area of food security and public health nutrition is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the potential use of NLP tools to gather insights from real-world social media data on the public health issue of food security. METHODS: A search strategy for obtaining tweets was developed using food security terms. Tweets were collected using the Twitter application programming interface from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021, filtered for Australia-based users only. Sentiment analysis of the tweets was performed using the Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner. Topic modeling exploring the content of tweets was conducted using latent Dirichlet allocation with BigML (BigML, Inc). Sentiment, topic, and engagement (the sum of likes, retweets, quotations, and replies) were compared across years. RESULTS: In total, 38,070 tweets were collected from 14,880 Twitter users. Overall, the sentiment when discussing food security was positive, although this varied across the 3 years. Positive sentiment remained higher during the COVID-19 lockdown periods in Australia. The topic model contained 10 topics (in order from highest to lowest probability in the data set): "Global production," "Food insecurity and health," "Use of food banks," "Giving to food banks," "Family poverty," "Food relief provision," "Global food insecurity," "Climate change," "Australian food insecurity," and "Human rights." The topic "Giving to food banks," which focused on support and donation, had the highest proportion of positive sentiment, and "Global food insecurity," which covered food insecurity prevalence worldwide, had the highest proportion of negative sentiment. When compared with news, there were some events, such as COVID-19 support payment introduction and bushfires across Australia, that were associated with high periods of positive or negative sentiment. Topics related to food insecurity prevalence, poverty, and food relief in Australia were not consistently more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic. Negative tweets received substantially higher engagement across 2019 and 2020. There was no clear relationship between topics that were more likely to be positive or negative and have higher or lower engagement, indicating that the identified topics are discrete issues. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we demonstrated the potential use of sentiment analysis and topic modeling to explore evolution in conversations on food security using social media data. Future use of NLP in food security requires the context of and interpretation by public health experts and the use of broader data sets, with the potential to track dimensions or events related to food security to inform evidence-based decision-making in this area.

The use of sentiment and emotion analysis and data science to assess the language of nutrition-, food- and cooking-related content on social media: a systematic scoping review.

Social media data are rapidly evolving and accessible, which presents opportunities for research. Data science techniques, such as sentiment or emotion analysis which analyse textual emotion, provide an opportunity to gather insight from social media. This paper describes a systematic scoping review of interdisciplinary evidence to explore how sentiment or emotion analysis methods alongside other data science methods have been used to examine nutrition, food and cooking social media content. A PRISMA search strategy was used to search nine electronic databases in November 2020 and January 2022. Of 7325 studies identified, thirty-six studies were selected from seventeen countries, and content was analysed thematically and summarised in an evidence table. Studies were published between 2014 and 2022 and used data from seven different social media platforms (Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Pinterest, Sina Weibo and mixed platforms). Five themes of research were identified: dietary patterns, cooking and recipes, diet and health, public health and nutrition and food in general. Papers developed a sentiment or emotion analysis tool or used available open-source tools. Accuracy to predict sentiment ranged from 33·33% (open-source engine) to 98·53% (engine developed for the study). The average proportion of sentiment was 38·8% positive, 46·6% neutral and 28·0% negative. Additional data science techniques used included topic modelling and network analysis. Future research requires optimising data extraction processes from social media platforms, the use of interdisciplinary teams to develop suitable and accurate methods for the subject and the use of complementary methods to gather deeper insights into these complex data.

Young Adults' Use of Different Social Media Platforms for Health Information: Insights From Web-Based Conversations.

BACKGROUND: Social media-delivered health promotion has demonstrated limited uptake and effectiveness among young adults. Understanding how young adults interact with existing social media platforms for health might provide insight for future health promotion interventions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe how young adults interact with different social media platforms for health and health information. METHODS: We used a web-based conversation methodology to collect data from 165 young adults aged 18 to 24 years. Participants participated in an extended conversation with moderators and other participants about health and social media. They were prompted to discuss how they find health information, how they use different social media platforms, and how they evaluate the trustworthiness of information. A thematic qualitative analysis was applied to the data. RESULTS: Young adults spent a lot of time scrolling through Facebook newsfeeds, which often resulted in seeing health-related content either from their friends, news sources, or advertisements. Some actively sought out information about specific health areas by joining groups or following relevant pages. YouTube was considered a useful source for learning about everything and was often the go-to when searching for information or advice (after Google). Young adults found the video format easy to learn from. They stated that they could identify accurate YouTube health content by cross-checking multiple videos, by feeling that the presenter was real and relatable, or just through instinctively judging a video's credibility. Instagram was a source of inspiration for health and wellness from those whose lives were dedicated to healthy lifestyles and fitness. Twitter, Tumblr, and Snapchat were rarely used for health information. CONCLUSIONS: Most young adults obtain health information from social media, both actively and through passive exposure. Participants indicated looking to social media influencers for health and lifestyle inspiration and judged the credibility of sources by appearance and instinct. Health experts should try to use the channels in the way that young adults already use them; use relatable role models on Instagram and YouTube, eye-catching headlines and support groups on Facebook, and easy to follow instruction videos via YouTube. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1111/1747-0080.12448.

The Use of Social Media as a Persuasive Platform to Facilitate Nutrition and Health Behavior Change in Young Adults: Web-Based Conversation Study.

BACKGROUND: Globally, suboptimal dietary choices are a leading cause of noncommunicable diseases. Evidence for effective interventions to address these behaviors, particularly in young adults, is limited. Given the substantial time young adults spend in using social media, there is interest in understanding the current and potential role of these platforms in shaping dietary behavior. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the influence of social media on young adults' dietary behaviors. METHODS: We recruited 234 young adults aged 18-24 years and living in Australia, using market and social research panels. We applied a digital ethnography approach to collect data from web-based conversations in a series of forums, where participants responded to different health-themed questions related to health behavior change and persuasion on social media. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants described how social media influenced their decisions to change their health behaviors. Access to social support and health information through web-based communities was juxtaposed with exposure to highly persuasive fast-food advertisements. Some participants expressed that exposure to web-based health-focused content induced feelings of guilt about their behavior, which was more prominent among women. Fast-food advertisements were discussed as a contributor to poor health behaviors and indicated as a major barrier to change. CONCLUSIONS: Young adults reported that social media is highly persuasive toward dietary behavior through different pathways of social influence. This suggests that social norms on the web are an important aspect of changing young adults' health behaviors. The commercialization of social media also encourages poor health behaviors, largely through fast-food advertisements. Future social media-delivered dietary interventions should acknowledge the social and environmental factors that challenge the ability of young adults to make individual health behavior improvements. Care should also be taken to ensure that future interventions do not further elicit guilt in a way that contributes to poor mental health within this community.

A social marketing perspective of young adults' concepts of eating for health: is it a question of morality?

BACKGROUND: Poor dietary choices are a risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Young adults have low levels of engagement towards their health and may not see the importance in the adoption of healthy eating behaviours at this stage in their lives. Here we utilise social marketing principles, digital ethnography and online conversations to gain insights into young adults' attitudes and sentiments towards healthy eating. METHODS: Young Australian adults who use social media at least twice a day were recruited by a commercial field house. Using a mixture of methods, combining online polls, forums and conversations, participants (n = 195, 18-24 years old) engaged in facilitated discussions over an extended 4 week period about health and eating-related topics. Data were analysed using thematic analysis constant comparison approach. A post-hoc conceptual framework related to religion was theorised and used as a metaphor to describe the results. RESULTS: Findings demonstrate that different segments of young adults with varying attitudes and interest towards healthy eating exist. We developed a conceptual framework based on consumer segmentation which adopted religious metaphors as a typology of 'consumers'. Some young adults practice and believe in the message of healthy eating (saints), whilst some oppose these messages and are not motivated to make any change (sinners), another segment are both aware of and interested in the issues but do not put healthy eating behaviours as a current priority (person in the pew). CONCLUSIONS: Consumer segmentation and social marketing techniques assist health professionals to understand their target audience and tailor specific messages to different segments. Segmentation provides insights on which groups may be most easily influenced to adopt the desired behaviours. The typology presented may be a useful tool for health professionals and social marketers to design strategies to engage young adults in healthy eating, particularly those in the pew who are contemplating a change but lacking the motivation. The utilisation of marketing segmentation in health promotion has the potential to enhance health messaging by tailoring messages to specific segments based on their needs, beliefs and intentions and therefore drive the efficient use of resources towards those most likely to change.

Social media use for nutrition outcomes in young adults: a mixed-methods systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Social media has been widely adopted by young adults, consequently health researchers are looking for ways to leverage this engagement with social media for the delivery of interventions and health promotion campaigns. Weight gain and sub-optimal dietary choices are common in young adults, and social media may be a potential tool to facilitate and support healthier choices. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review of studies examining social media use for nutrition-related outcomes in young adults. Seven databases [EBscohost, ERIC, ProQuest Central, PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, and Emerald] were systematically searched; 1225 abstracts were screened, and 47 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Study designs included both quantitative, such as experimental and observational studies, and qualitative, such as focus groups and interviews, approaches. Quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Quantitative and qualitative results were examined separately, and then synthesized. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies were included although their use of social media was highly variable. The main purpose of social media was to provide information and social support to participants. In the nine randomized controlled trials, social media was used as one aspect of a multi-faceted intervention. Interventions had a positive statistically significant impact on nutritional outcomes in 1/9 trials. Engagement with the social media component of interventions varied, from 3 to 69%. Young adults appear to be open to receiving healthy eating and recipe tips through social media, however, they are reluctant to share personal weight-related information on their online social networks. CONCLUSIONS: Information-dissemination is now an acceptable use of social media by young adults. Using social media effectively for social support, either via private groups or public pages, requires careful evaluation as its effectiveness is yet to be demonstrated in experimental designs. Concerns about public social media use may be a contributing factor to poor engagement with social media in research intervention studies aimed at influencing weight. Future research should consider how to best engage with young adults using social media, how to more effectively use social media to support young adults and to facilitate social and peer-to-peer support in making healthier choices.

What People "Like": Analysis of Social Media Strategies Used by Food Industry Brands, Lifestyle Brands, and Health Promotion Organizations on Facebook and Instagram.

BACKGROUND: Health campaigns have struggled to gain traction with young adults using social media, even though more than 80% of young adults are using social media at least once per day. Many food industry and lifestyle brands have been successful in achieving high levels of user engagement and promoting their messages; therefore, there may be lessons to be learned by examining the successful strategies commercial brands employ. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify and quantify social media strategies used by the food industry and lifestyle brands, and health promotion organizations across the social networking sites Facebook and Instagram. METHODS: The six most engaging posts from the 10 most popular food industry and lifestyle brands and six health promotion organizations were included in this study. A coding framework was developed to categorize social media strategies, and engagement metrics were collected. Exploratory linear regression models were used to examine associations between strategies used and interactions on Facebook and Instagram. RESULTS: Posts from Facebook (143/227, 63.0%) and Instagram (84/227, 37.0%) were included. Photos (64%) and videos (34%) were used to enhance most posts. Different strategies were most effective for Facebook and Instagram. Strategies associated with higher Facebook interactions included links to purchasable items (beta=0.81, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.13, P<.001) featuring body image messages compared with food content (beta=1.96, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.64, P<.001), and where the content induced positive emotions (beta=0.31, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.57, P=.02). Facebook interactions were negatively associated with using pop culture (beta=-0.67, 95% CI -0.99 to -0.34, P<.001), storytelling (beta=-0.86, 95% CI -1.29 to -0.43, P<.001) or visually appealing graphics (beta=-0.53, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.28, P<.001) in their posts compared with other strategies. Posting relatable content was negatively associated with interactions on Facebook (beta=-0.29, 95% CI -0.53 to -0.06, P=.01), but positively associated on Instagram (beta=0.50, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.95, P=.03). Instagram interactions were negatively associated with weight loss (beta=-1.45, 95% CI -2.69 to -0.21, P=.02) and other content (beta=-0.81, 95% CI -1.57 to -.06, P=.04) compared with food content. CONCLUSIONS: Health promotion professionals and organizations can improve engagement using positive messaging and tailoring posts appropriate for different social media channels.

Evaluation and refinement of a field-portable drinking water toxicity sensor utilizing electric cell-substrate impedance sensing and a fluidic biochip.

The US Army's need for a reliable and field-portable drinking water toxicity sensor was the catalyst for the development and evaluation of an electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) device. Water testing technologies currently available to soldiers in the field are analyte-specific and have limited capabilities to detect broad-based water toxicity. The ECIS sensor described here uses rainbow trout gill epithelial cells seeded on fluidic biochips to measure changes in impedance for the detection of possible chemical contamination of drinking water supplies. Chemicals selected for testing were chosen as representatives of a broad spectrum of toxic industrial compounds. Results of a US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)-sponsored evaluation of the field portable device were similar to previously published US Army testing results of a laboratory-based version of the same technology. Twelve of the 18 chemicals tested following USEPA Technology Testing and Evaluation Program procedures were detected by the ECIS sensor within 1 h at USEPA-derived human lethal concentrations. To simplify field-testing methods further, elimination of a procedural step that acclimated cells to serum-free media streamlined the test process with only a slight loss of chemical sensitivity. For field use, the ECIS sensor will be used in conjunction with an enzyme-based sensor that is responsive to carbamate and organophosphorus pesticides.

Re-Licious: Co-Design with Adolescents to Turn Leftovers into Delicious and Healthy Meals-A School-Based Pilot Intervention.

One-third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted, and one cause is consumer leftovers. Re-licious was an eight-week pilot intervention aiming to increase awareness of food waste and healthy eating by building adolescents' ability to prepare and cook leftovers. Re-licious used a co-design approach and was piloted in a secondary school, half of which was during a COVID-19 lockdown period. Students watched videos on food waste and healthy eating during class. They identified leftover ingredients at home and repurposed ingredients to create recipes. Students co-created recipe criteria to ensure the personal relevance of the recipes. They completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires (n = 40) about food waste and motivation and interest in healthy eating. Four group interviews were conducted. The factors identified as important in the co-creation sessions were preparation time, cost, healthiness, and sustainability. Participants with low motivation and interest in healthy eating decreased, and participants with high interest increased (p < 0.001). The intention to reduce food waste increased (p = 0.007), as did resourcefulness (p < 0.001) and personal norms (p = 0.048). Interviews highlighted the students' increased awareness of food waste and enjoyment of the intervention. With improvements based on this pilot, Re-licious could be adapted and re-trialled in a face-to-face format to educate young people about food waste.

The search for scientific meaning in mindfulness research: Insights from a scoping review.

There are on-going debates about what is and is not 'mindfulness'. These debates are stifling rigorous academic research as scientific precision is a precursor to shared meaning. While mindfulness is a growing field of research, these divergent and conflated meanings are limiting deeper interdisciplinary research. Interventions designed in one practice context may not be useful in other contexts because meaning is not transferred between settings. This review clarifies the various research domains that study mindfulness and the conceptual and operational definitions in each domain. This two-stage study comprises a scoping review of mindfulness classifications and a comparative content mapping of mindfulness studies from 2015 to 2021. The initial comprehensive search strategy followed the preferred reporting items for scoping reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) method. The comparative analysis was conducted using Leximancer. Findings illustrate a complex growing research corpus on mindfulness that is somewhat confused. The results from the scoping review show three shared domains in mindfulness classifications: short-term effects of mindfulness, long-term effects of mindfulness, and mindfulness practices. The results from the content mapping show four domains of mindfulness research: mental health, behavioural change, cognitive neuroscience, and ethical mindfulness. Operational definitions of mindfulness are not articulated clearly in these domains. Conceptual and operational definitions in the 'ethical mindfulness' domain are not yet developed. To enhance scientific progress in mindfulness research, further investigations of mindfulness classifications need to be developed. Content mapping and semantic typology is a potential candidate for future classification. More attention should be paid to developing operational definitions according to specific research domains. Scholars in the ethical mindfulness domain will need solid conceptual and operational definitions to support their research efforts.

Improving the Health of Emerging Adult Gamers-A Scoping Review of Influences.

Emerging adults (EAs), defined as adults aged 18 to 25, remain a difficult group to engage in healthy behaviours (including positive dieting and eating patterns). The environmental elements that influence the health behaviours of EAs have been studied. However, the literature is mixed on how online game environments, including eSports and game streaming, can be used to positively engage EAs. In this scoping review, we identified and analysed research on online games, EAs, and dietary patterns to create a behavioural ecological map of influences that intersect with EAs through online games. In total, 75 studies were found, identifying 23 influences that intersect with EAs through their online game use. ESports organisations, eSports athletes, and content creators may be areas of future research (and intervention) as these factors could positively influence the dietary behaviours of EAs (through online games).

Tackling the challenge of treating obesity using design research methods: A scoping review.

Design research methods, including user-centered design, human-centered design, and design thinking, are iterative processes and frameworks that engage stakeholders to inform the design of initiatives, programs, or research interventions. Design research methods are not yet widely applied in healthcare. To date, there is a limited understanding of how design research methodologies can be applied to develop client-centered weight loss interventions. This scoping review explores the extent, range, and nature of research projects that used design research methods to guide the development of an obesity treatment intervention. A systematic search of eight databases identified projects that used design research methods to develop a weight loss intervention or strategy. The method and practical application of design research processes for each eligible article were extracted and explored. Design research methods were used to generate ideas or guide the development of a mobile application (n = 6), mHealth device (n = 1), eHealth solution (n = 1), health promotion program (n = 1), or patient-clinician communication tools (n = 2). There was considerable variation in the application of design research processes between studies. Design research methods may provide an iterative, flexible framework to facilitate the development of client-centered, inclusive interventions and strategies. Design research methods may support research teams to move away from the one-size-fits-all approach to obesity treatment.

Communicating Health to Young Adults Using Social Media: How, Where, and When?

Communication with young adults about healthy lifestyle behaviours needs to result in improvements in dietary choices to impact the prevalence of diet-related diseases. This paper presents the health beliefs, behaviours, and communication practices in young Australian adults (n = 2019) by their pre-defined psycho-behavioural characteristics: Lifestyle Mavens, Health-Conscious, Aspirational Healthy Eaters, Balanced-All Rounders, Contemplating Another Day, or Blissfully Unconcerned. The Lifestyle Mavens and Health-Conscious groups were more likely to actively seek out health information on social media (p < 0.05). Lifestyle Mavens were the most likely to engage with health and food content on social media, whereas the Blissfully Unconcerned were the least likely to engage (p < 0.05). Lifestyle Mavens are more likely to report creating food and health-related content for social media, whereas Aspirational Healthy Eaters are more likely to report searching for food and health-related content online, but are less likely to share or create content. Contemplating Another Day are more likely to report interactions with commercial content. This paper defines how psycho-behavioural segments communicate about health, where they look for information, how they may prefer to receive health messages, and when they are most receptive to messages. By applying existing robust market segmentation techniques, this paper provides nuanced information that challenges the assumption that online social media health information is preferred by all young adults.

A multistep enrichment process with custom growth medium improves resuscitation of chlorine-stressed coliforms from secondary sewage effluents.

Resuscitation and detection of stressed total coliforms in chlorinated water samples is needed to assess and prevent health effects from adverse exposure. In this study, we report that the addition of a growth enhancer mix consisting of trehalose, sodium pyruvate, magnesium chloride, and 1× trace mineral supplement improved growth of microorganisms from chlorinated secondary effluent in the base medium with Colilert-18. Improving growth of chlorine stressed microorganisms from secondary effluent is crucial to decreased detection time from 18 to 8 h.

Where Do Online Games Fit into the Health Behaviour Ecology of Emerging Adults: A Scoping Review.

Online video games are a common pastime for emerging adults (EAs). EAs are an age group that is of interest in health communication because habits formed during this life stage can cause or prevent disease later in life. Guided by three research questions, this scoping review identifies the current state of research into socio-ecological influences on physical activity and diet behaviours of EAs. The review also examines the role that online video games play within this behavioural ecology. In total, 112 articles were found that focused on behavioural ecological influences for physical activity and diet behaviour among EAs. Seven of these articles focused on the impact of online video games, although only in conjunction with their influence on physical activity, identifying a gap in understanding the influence of online games on diet. Results show that online video games are currently under-researched in terms of impacts on physical activity and diet despite the prevalence of the use of these games within the EA cohort.

Psycho-Behavioural Segmentation in Food and Nutrition: A Systematic Scoping Review of the Literature.

Inadequate dietary intakes are a key modifiable risk factor to reduce the risk of developing non-communicable diseases. To encourage healthy eating and behaviour change, innovative public health interventions are required. Social marketing, in particular segmentation, can be used to understand and target specific population groups. However, segmentation often uses demographic factors, ignoring the reasons behind why people behave the way they do. This review aims to explore the food and nutrition related research that has utilised psycho-behavioural segmentation. Six databases from were searched in June 2020. Inclusion criteria were: published 2010 onwards, segmentation by psycho-behavioural variables, outcome related to food or nutrition, and healthy adult population over 18 years. 30 studies were included; most were quantitative (n = 28) and all studies used post-hoc segmentation methods, with the tools used to segment the population varying. None of the segments generated were targeted in future research. Psycho-behavioural factors are key in understanding people's behaviour. However, when used in post-hoc segmentation, do not allow for effective targeting as there is no prior understanding of behaviours that need to change within each segment. In future, we should move towards hybrid segmentation to assist with the design of interventions that target behaviours such as healthy eating.

Effects of Advertising: A Qualitative Analysis of Young Adults' Engagement with Social Media About Food.

Young adults are constantly exposed to energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and beverages, particularly through advertising. Exposure can influence poor food choices and negatively impact health. This study aimed to understand young adults' attitudes and experiences associated with food-related advertisements, particularly on social media. This qualitative analysis involved n = 166 Australian 18 to 24-year-olds who were involved in a four-week online conversation on different areas relating to health, social media, and eating. Inductive thematic analysis was utilised on two forums on the recall and perceptions of food-related advertisements. Young adults commonly mentioned aspects of the marketing mix (promotion, product, price, and place) in food advertisements. Participants were more readily able to recall energy-dense, nutrient-poor food advertisements compared to healthy food-related advertisements. Digital advertisements were often discussed alongside the use of ad-blockers and algorithms which tailored their social media viewing to what they like. Participants felt constant exposure to unhealthy food advertisements hindered their ability to realise healthy eating behaviours and created feelings of guilt. This current analysis highlights the need to provide an advertising environment that appropriately motivates healthy eating and a food environment that allows healthy food to be the affordable and convenient option.

Nutrition Meets Social Marketing: Targeting Health Promotion Campaigns to Young Adults Using the Living and Eating for Health Segments.

Young adults are a key target age group for lifestyle behaviour change as adoption of healthier behaviours has the potential to impact long term health. This paper arises from a multi-disciplinary research project, Communicating Health, which aims to bridge the gap between nutritionists, media, and social marketing professionals to produce the tools that may be used to improve engagement with young adults and reduce the prevalence of obesity. The aim of this paper is to provide nuanced details of the psycho-behavioral characteristics of each of these Living and Eating for Health Segments (LEHS). The design and validation of the LEHS employed a four-stage mixed methods design underpinned by the Integrated Model of Behaviour Change and incorporating sequential formative, qualitative, and quantitative phases. This paper defines the psycho-behavioural characteristics of six distinct market segments: Lifestyle Mavens, Aspirational Healthy Eaters, Balanced-all Rounders, the Health Conscious, those Contemplating Another Day, and the Blissfully Unconcerned. These psycho-behavioural characteristics are important to understand to help build our capability in designing campaigns that are specifically and purposefully targeting these different market segments of young adults. Social marketing practices can enhance the utility of nutrition and health messages to young adults in order to engage them in adopting positive lifestyle change. Tailoring health promotions to the perceived needs of sub-groups or segments of young adults should lead to increased engagement and uptake of messages and cost-efficient use of health promotion budgets.

Development and Application of a Patient Group Engagement Prioritization Tool for Use in Medical Product Development.

INTRODUCTION: Patient group engagement is increasingly used to inform the design, conduct, and dissemination of clinical trials and other medical research activities. However, the priorities of industry sponsors and patient groups differ, and there is currently no framework to help these groups identify mutually beneficial engagement activities. METHODS: We conducted 28 qualitative, semi-structured interviews with representatives from research sponsor organizations (n = 14) and patient groups (n = 14) to determine: (1) how representatives define benefits and investments of patient group engagement in medical product development, and (2) to refine a list of 31 predefined patient group engagement activities. RESULTS: Patient group and sponsor representatives described similar benefits: engagement activities can enhance the quality and efficiency of clinical trials by improving patient recruitment and retention, reduce costs, and help trials meet expectations of regulators and payers. All representatives indicated that investments include both dedicated staff time and expertise, and financial resources. Factors to consider when evaluating benefits and investments were also identified as were suggestions for clarifying the list of engagement activities. DISCUSSION: Using these findings, we refined the 31 engagement activities to 24 unique activities across the medical product development lifecycle. We also developed a web-based prioritization tool ( https://prioritizationtool.ctti-clinicaltrials.org/ ) to help clinical research sponsors and patient groups identify high-priority engagement activities. Use of this tool can help sponsors and patient groups identify the engagement activities that they believe will provide the most benefit for the least investment and may lead to more meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships in medical product development.

Language of Health of Young Australian Adults: A Qualitative Exploration of Perceptions of Health, Wellbeing and Health Promotion via Online Conversations.

Young adults (YA) are in a critical stage of life for the encouragement of healthy behaviours such as healthy eating and exercising. This research explored Australian YA values and perceptions related to health, healthy behaviours and health promotion efforts. This qualitative analysis involved n = 166, Australian 18-24 year-olds recruited through a market research field house. Participants (63% currently studying at tertiary level) engaged in a facilitated in-depth online conversation around health and healthy eating over four weeks. LeximancerTM and manual inductive thematic coding were utilised for analysis via the lens of emerging adulthood and health communication theories. Health was seen as multi-faceted, with particular importance placed on mental health and exercise. Some participants focussed on physical appearance, often fuelled by comparison to others. Many believed that at their age and health status, adopting health-enhancing behaviours without short-term tangible benefits was not a priority. Participants did not prioritise health-enhancing behaviours due to barriers such as a perceived lack of money, knowledge and time often due to studying or working and perceived effort. Strategies they proposed to encourage healthy eating included: incentivising healthy food; quick and affordable healthy recipes; and communicating the short-term tangible benefits of healthy behaviours. There is a need for focussed health messaging that address the needs and desires of YA and directly address the barriers they face.