Online news coverage of infant formula shortage in the United States: A content analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the content of internet news specific to the 2022 infant formula shortage in the United States. First hundred English news articles on Google News were coded for content categories to reflect recommendations for affected families by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chi-square test of independence (α = 0.05) determined if content categories was statistically affected by whether the news article was professionally authored or an internet news article. Only 17% of the articles were professionally authored. Hardships to parents was the predominant theme (73% of news articles); 53% mentioned challenges for infants needing hypoallergenic or specialized formulas; 52% addressed food safety. Coverage of feeding guidelines, challenges for specialized formula requirements, introduction to solid foods, re-lactation, breastfeeding support, and food safety were not significantly impacted by whether the article was professionally authored or not (p > .05). Results point to the need for health professionals to increase their online presence as a vital source of accurate information during a public health crisis.

Keywords

• Internet news
• Infant formula shortage
• Parental hardships
• Public health