Structural equation modeling of direct and indirect associations of social media addiction with eating behavior in adolescents and young adults

Abstract

Social media (SM) exerts important effects on health-related behaviors such as eating behaviors (EB). The present study was designed to determine the direct and indirect association of SM addiction with EB in adolescents and young adults through body image (BI). In this cross-sectional study, 12–22 years old adolescents and young adults, with no history of mental disorders or psychiatric medications usage were studied through an online questionnaire shared via SM platforms. Data were gathered about SM addiction, BI, and EB in its sub-scales. A single approach and multi-group path analyses were performed to find possible direct and indirect associations of SM addiction with EB through BI concerns. Overall, 970 subjects, 55.8% boys, were included in the analysis. Both multi-group (β = 0.484, SE = 0.025, P < 0.001) and fully-adjusted (β = 0.460, SE = 0.026, P < 0.001) path analyses showed higher SM addiction is related to disordered BI. Furthermore, the multi-group analysis showed one unit increment in SM addiction score was associated with 0.170 units higher scores for emotional eating (SE = 0.032, P < 0.001), 0.237 for external stimuli (SE = 0.032, P < 0.001), and 0.122 for restrained eating (SE = 0.031, P < 0.001). The present study revealed that SM addiction is associated with EB both directly and also indirectly through deteriorating BI in adolescents and young adults.

Relationship between social media addiction level and nutritional status in students of the faculty of health sciences

“…Although social media addiction is not related to healthy eating attitudes, there is a relationship between social media addiction and eating disorder risk among university students (21). Social media addiction also has negative effects on eating behavior among adolescents and young individuals (33). As the time spent on social media increases, healthy eating (34,35).…”