Abstract
PurposeAlthough the association between problematic use of the internet and eating disorders (EDs) in young adults has been previously established, its underlying mechanisms have not been completely clarified. It has been suggested that exposure to idealized very thin and toned body images (e.g., “thinspiration” and “fitspiration” trends) on social media might lead to increased feelings of body dissatisfaction which, in turn, can represent a trigger for EDs. We have tested this hypothesis in a sample (N = 721) of young adults (504 females, mean age: 24.13 ± 3.70 years; range 18–34).MethodsSelf-report measures investigating symptoms related to social media addiction (SMA), muscle dysmorphia (MD), and EDs were used. A mediational model analyzing the direct and indirect effects of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms through the mediating role of MD-related symptoms was performed controlling for confounding factors (e.g., socio-demographic variables, substances use, body mass index, psychopathological distress).ResultsThe model showed that the total effect of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms was significant (B = 0.213; p = 0.022) and that this association was mediated by MD-related symptoms (B = 0.083; p = 0.021).DiscussionOur findings support the possibility that MD-related symptoms play a relevant role in mediating the association between SMA severity and ED pathology.Level of evidenceLevel III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies.
Highlights
The increasing relevance of the internet in everyone’s life, and especially in the lives of adolescents and young adults, is raising interest on potential health-related sequelae associated with its use
There were 154 subjects (21.4%) who met the criteria for problematic social media use (PSMU), 120 (16.6%) who met the criteria for clinically relevant eating disorders (EDs)-related symptoms, and 26 (3.6%) who met the criteria for clinically relevant muscle dysmorphia (MD)
There were 170 participants (23.6%) who met the criteria for clinically relevant psychopathological distress, 94 (13.0%) who met the criteria for problematic alcohol use (PAU)
Summary
The increasing relevance of the internet in everyone’s life, and especially in the lives of adolescents and young adults, is raising interest on potential health-related sequelae associated with its use. A link between PUI and mental diseases has been consistently observed in relation to eating disorders (EDs) [5]. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity and Eating Disorders” which comprises the following diagnoses [7]: pica, rumination disorder (RD), avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFEDs), and unspecified feeding or eating disorder (UFEDs). Subthreshold EDs as well as ED-related symptoms (e.g., food preoccupation, binge eating, excessive dieting, body dissatisfaction, body image concerns, rigid weight-control behaviors) are widely detected with various degrees of severity in the general population, especially in young adults [9,10,11,12], as well as in patients with psychiatric diagnoses different from EDs [13,14,15,16]
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