Optimising nutrition communication in obesity care: a comparative study of digital communication preferences and perceived empathy

Introduction
Effective obesity management requires sustained engagement with nutrition-related behaviours across the lifecycle. Digital communication tools are increasingly used to support this, yet their ability to convey empathy and support behaviour change in sensitive contexts remains uncertain. Understanding how both health professionals and the public perceive these tools is critical for optimising nutrition communication strategies, as empathy and high-quality clinician-patient communication are associated with improved engagement and care outcomes (1,2). This study aimed to compare health professionals’ and public participants’ use, preferences and perceived empathy of digital communication tools relevant to obesity and mental health care, with implications for optimising nutrition communication.


Methods
Two parallel cross-sectional online surveys were conducted with health professionals (n=129) and members of the public (n=268). Questionnaires examined patterns of digital communication use, preferences across modalities (face-to-face, telephone, video, messaging, email), and perceived empathy. Survey design was informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) (3). Between-group comparisons were conducted using chi-square and Mann–Whitney U tests.

Results
Health professionals reported significantly greater use of clinical communication technologies, including telephone consultations, electronic health records, and video consultations (p<0.001), while public participants reported greater engagement with consumer-oriented tools such as health apps, wearable devices, and messaging platforms (p<0.001). Face-to-face communication was the preferred modality across both groups. Perceived empathy varied significantly by communication channel. Health professionals rated digital modalities as more capable of conveying empathy than public participants (p<0.001). For example, 60% of health professionals rated video consultations as highly empathetic compared with 19% of public participants. Emerging technologies such as chatbots and virtual reality were infrequently selected by both groups.

Conclusion
Findings highlight a disconnect between professional assumptions and public expectations regarding empathy in digital communication. In the context of obesity, where stigma, vulnerability, and long-term behaviour change are central, perceived empathy is a critical determinant of engagement with nutrition advice. Differences in technology use also suggest that nutrition interventions must align with the lived digital practices of target populations.

Digital tools have potential to support nutrition communication across the lifecycle, but their effectiveness depends on relational quality as well as accessibility. Strategies to optimise obesity care should prioritise hybrid models that integrate digital tools with human interaction, ensuring communication remains empathetic, context-sensitive, and responsive to user expectations.