How can PHP include statements be properly implemented to display different content based on user authentication status, and what steps can be taken to prevent displaying PHP code instead of the desired content?

To display different content based on user authentication status using PHP include statements, you can create separate PHP files for each content variation and include them based on the user's authentication status. To prevent displaying PHP code instead of the desired content, you can use proper file permissions and ensure that user input is sanitized and validated before including it in the PHP code.

<?php
// Check user authentication status
if($authenticated){
    include 'authenticated_content.php';
} else {
    include 'unauthenticated_content.php';
}
?>