Problematic social media use and overweight/obesity: explanatory pathway analysis of 124 667 in‐school adolescents in 39 high‐income countries
Main finding · Overweight/obesityResult — go to the resultAdjusted odds ratio 1.11 95% CI 1.05–1.18Authors' conclusion
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that used nationally representative data from multiple countries in high-income countries to examine the association between PSMU and overweight/obesity and potential explanatory pathways among school-going adolescents. This finding has important implications for public health interventions to reduce overweight/obesity rates among young people.
Study context
- Population
- In-school adolescents from 39 high-income countries, 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey
- Participants
- 124,667 adolescents39 countries
- Exposure
- Higher vs low problematic social media use
- Outcome
- Overweight/obesity
Methodological details2018 HBSC survey, sequential logistic regressions, pathway analysis with non-parametric bootstrapping
- 2018 HBSC survey
- Sequential logistic regressions
- Pathway analysis with non-parametric bootstrapping
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Adjusted odds ratio
1.11
95% CI 1.05–1.18
Higher PSMUvs Low PSMU
aOR 1.11 (95% CI 1.05–1.18)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Mediation of problematic social media use (PSMU)–overweight/obesity association (share of total effect)
- Breakfast skipping
- 19.8% (β = 0.0068, Boots 95% CI 0.0056-0.0074)
- Life satisfaction
- 15.1% (β = 0.0050, Boots 95% CI 0.0046-0.0056)
- Family communication
- 9.2% (β = 0.0031, Boots 95% CI 0.0024-0.0038)
- Self-rated health
- 7.8% (β = 0.0024, Boots 95% CI 0.001-0.004)
- Physical activity
- 5.2% (β = 0.0017, Boots 95% CI 0.0014-0.0023)
- Bootstrapping mediation analyses
Original publication
Problematic social media use and overweight/obesity: explanatory pathway analysis of 124 667 in‐school adolescents in 39 high‐income countries. Pediatr Obes. Published 10 September 2023. doi:10.
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