Online Food Security Discussion Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Community Groups and Organizations: Content Analysis of Facebook Posts

BACKGROUND: The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) population experiences disproportionately higher rates of food insecurity, which is a risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, when compared to white individuals. Novel and effective approaches that address food insecurity are needed for the NHPI population, particularly in areas of the continental United States, which is a popular migration area for many NHPI families. Social media may serve as an opportune setting to reduce food insecurity and thus the risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases among NHPI people; however, it is unclear if and how food insecurity is discussed in online communities targeting NHPI individuals. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize the quantity, nature, and audience engagement of messages related to food insecurity posted online in community groups and organizations that target NHPI audiences. METHODS: Publicly accessible Facebook pages and groups focused on serving NHPI community members living in the states of Washington or Oregon served as the data source. Facebook posts between March and June 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and from March to June 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) that were related to food security were identified using a set of 36 related keywords. Data on the post and any user engagement (ie, comments, shares, or digital reactions) were extracted for all relevant posts. A content analytical approach was used to identify and quantify the nature of the identified posts and any related comments. The codes resulting from the content analysis were described and compared by year, page type, and engagement. RESULTS: Of the 1314 nonduplicated posts in the 7 relevant Facebook groups and pages, 88 were related to food security (8 in 2019 and 80 in 2020). The nature of posts was broadly classified into literature-based codes, food assistance (the most common), perspectives of food insecurity, community gratitude and support, and macrolevel contexts. Among the 88 posts, 74% (n=65) had some form of engagement, and posts reflecting community gratitude and support or culture had more engagement than others (mean 19.9, 95% CI 11.2-28.5 vs mean 6.1, 95% CI 1.7-10.4; and mean 26.8, 95% CI 12.7-40.9 vs mean 5.3, 95% CI 3.0-7.7, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Food security–related posts in publicly accessible Facebook groups targeting NHPI individuals living in Washington and Oregon largely focused on food assistance, although cultural values of gratitude, maintaining NHPI culture, and supporting children were also reflected. Future work should capitalize on social media as a potential avenue to reach a unique cultural group in the United States experiencing inequitably high rates of food insecurity and risk of cardiometabolic diseases.