Are popular books about diet and health written based on scientific evidence? A comparison of citations between the USA and Japan

Fumi Oono; Riho Adachi; Akinori Yaegashi; Madoka Kishino; Risa Ogata; Anna Kinugawa; Ayari Tsumura; Mizuki Suga; Moe Matsumoto; Tomoya Takaoka; Yuya Kakutani; Kentaro Murakami; Satoshi Sasaki

doi:10.1017/S1368980023002549

Public Health Nutrition (Dec 2023)

Are popular books about diet and health written based on scientific evidence? A comparison of citations between the USA and Japan

Fumi Oono,
Riho Adachi,
Akinori Yaegashi,
Madoka Kishino,
Risa Ogata,
Anna Kinugawa,
Ayari Tsumura,
Mizuki Suga,
Moe Matsumoto,
Tomoya Takaoka,
Yuya Kakutani,
Kentaro Murakami,
Satoshi Sasaki

Affiliations

Fumi Oono: ORCiD; Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, Division of Health Sciences and Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
Riho Adachi: Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Akinori Yaegashi: ORCiD; Department of Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Science, Hokkaido Bunkyo University, Hokkaido, Japan Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
Madoka Kishino: ORCiD; Department of Food and Nutritional Science, Graduate School of Applied Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
Risa Ogata: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Science, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
Anna Kinugawa: ORCiD; Department of International and Community Oral Health, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Miyagi, Japan
Ayari Tsumura: Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
Mizuki Suga: Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Moe Matsumoto: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
Tomoya Takaoka: ORCiD; Division of Clinical Nutrition, Shinshu University Hospital, Nagano, Japan Medical Science Division, Department of Medical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan
Yuya Kakutani: ORCiD; Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Osaka Shoin Women’s University, Osaka, Japan
Kentaro Murakami: ORCiD; Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Satoshi Sasaki: ORCiD; Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, Division of Health Sciences and Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023002549
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 26
pp. 2815 – 2825

Abstract

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Abstract Objectives: To describe and compare the references cited in popular books about diet and health between the USA and Japan. Design: Books were selected based on their best-seller rankings in the diet and health category of online bookstores. We identified references throughout all pages of the books and examined the number of references, reference format (identifiable or not) and presence of specific types of references, such as systematic reviews of human research. We compared the characteristics of references between the two countries and examined related factors to citation. Setting: Cross-sectional study. Participants: Books (n 100 in each country). Results: Among 100 books from each country, sixty-five US and sixty-six Japanese books had references. Forty-five US books cited more than 100 references, against only five Japanese books. The number of books that cited systematic reviews of human research differed between the USA (n 49) and Japan (n 9). Additionally, the number of books that provided identifiable information for all references was significantly higher in the USA (n 63) than in Japan (n 42). Books whose first authors have licences of medical doctors were more likely to cite references than those without in both countries. Conclusions: Two-thirds of books about diet and health cited references in both the USA and Japan, but Japanese books cited fewer references and were less likely to cite systematic reviews and provide identifiable references than US books. Further research into the scientific reliability of information in books about diet and health is warranted.

Published in Public Health Nutrition

ISSN: 1368-9800 (Print); 1475-2727 (Online)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Public aspects of medicine; Medicine: Internal medicine: Specialties of internal medicine: Nutritional diseases. Deficiency diseases
Website: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition

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