The relationship between social media use and disordered eating in young adolescents
Wilksch SM, O'Shea A, Ho P, Byrne S, Wade TD
The International journal of eating disorders · 137 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Nonprofit
- Australian Rotary Health
Based on 1 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2019-12-03 · Int J Eat Disord · vol. 53 · issue 1 · pp. 96–106
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Cited
- 275 citations · more than 100% of similar papers · 23.4× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 36 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Keywords
- social media use, disordered eating, early adolescents, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, Facebook, eating disorder cognitions, eating disorder behaviors, gender differences, physical activity limitation, meal skipping, eating disorder prevention
- MeSH
- humans, adolescent behavior, adolescent, female, male, social media, surveys and questionnaires, feeding and eating disorders
5 authors
From AU
- Simon M. Wilksch · correspondingFlinders University
- Anne E. O’SheaFlinders University
- Pheobe HoThe University of Western Australia
- Sue ByrneThe University of Western Australia
- Tracey D. WadeFlinders University
Abstract
Background
The relationship between social media (SM) use and disordered eating (DE) has not been adequately explored in young adolescents.
Methods
Data from 996 Grade 7 and 8 adolescents (n = 534 girls; M age = 13.08) was investigated. DE cognitions (Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire [EDE-Q]), DE behaviors (Project Eating Among Teens), and SM use measures related to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr were completed.
Results
DE behaviors were reported by 51.7% of girls and 45.0% of boys, with strict exercise and meal skipping the most common. A total of 75.4% of girls and 69.9% of boys had at least one SM account where Instagram was the most common, used by 68.1% of girls and 61.7% of boys. Global EDE-Q scores were significantly higher for girls and boys with each type of SM account, except for Facebook and Instagram for girls. A greater number of SM accounts was associated with higher DE scores for both cognitions and behaviors. Girls with Snapchat and Tumblr accounts and boys with Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram were significantly more likely to have both DE behaviors and over-evaluation of shape and weight in the clinical range. Greater daily time spent using Instagram was associated with significantly higher Global EDE-Q scores and DE behaviors for girls, while this pattern was also found for Snapchat usage and DE behaviors for girls.
Conclusions
A clear pattern of association was found between SM usage and DE cognitions and behaviors with this exploratory study confirming that these relationships occur at younger-age than previously investigated.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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