Autopromoção de nutricionistas no Instagram: práticas de marketing digital e questões éticas

Abstract

Introduction: Instagram is widely used by nutritionists for service promotion, nutrition education, and the development of professional visibility. However, the intersection between health communication, advertising, and self-promotion strategies may create tensions with the ethical standards that guide professional practice. Objective: To analyze self-promotion practices in public Instagram profiles identifying themselves as nutritionists, in light of the profession's ethical regulations. Methods: This was an exploratory and descriptive documentary study of digital content, conducted through non-participant observation of 50 public Instagram profiles. Professional identification elements and profile content were analyzed according to previously defined categories. Data were organized by frequency and qualitatively interpreted in light of the professional regulations in force during the data collection period. Results: Analysis of the corpus identified four dimensions related to self promotion practices: professional identification; advertising, brands, and commercial interests; and body image, promises, and testimonials. Regarding professional identification, 34 profiles (68%) did not display the registration number with the Regional Council of Nutritionists, and five (10%) did not specify the professional title in the profile. In the dimension of advertising, brands, and commercial interests, 29 profiles (58%) explicitly promoted products or brands, three (6%) directly sold products or merchandise, and two (4%) offered discount coupons linked to brands. In the dimension of body image, promises, and testimonials, " Conclusion: In the analyzed corpus, self-promotion practices were identified that may challenge principles related to professional identification, transparency of interests, privacy, and responsible health communication. The findings reinforce the need for critical training regarding the ethical use of social media and for continuous educational actions by professional organizations. Keywords: Nutritionists; Social Media; Marketing; Professional Ethics; Health Promotion.