The impact of Social Media Affinity on eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction among school-age children and adolescent girls studying in Farasan governorate school, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Purpose: The use of the internet for social networking has become a global phenomenon, as the number of social network users worldwide increased from 2.3 billion in 2016 to around 2.6 billion in 2018. 92% of United States adolescents report daily usage of social media, and 24% of them go online “almost constantly”. This study aimed to evaluate the Impact of social media affinity on Eating Attitudes and Body Dissatisfaction among School and adolescent children. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Farasan school from January 2022 to February 2022. A total of 75 students were selected by the non-probability purposive sampling technique. 5-point Likert scale on social media affinity (13 items), Body dissatisfaction was assessed by BSQ 8-c, and a 4-point Likert scale (26 items) was used to assess the eating attitude.Results: The majority of participants were females (81%). Out of this 75% were using social media every day and half of the percentage (50.7%) using WhatsApp. The total mean score for social media affinity was 49.72±5.61 out of 55. It concludes that higher scores indicate higher social media affinity. The mean score for eating attitude was 53.48±9.74. It interprets that a cut-off score of 20 or above indicates children had a high risk of developing an eating disorder. The participants’ Body Shape Dissatisfaction Questionnaire mean score was 23.37±6.39. it shows scores less than 25 mean mild concerns with a shape that indicates probable cases of distorted body image. Conclusion: social media and peer pressure has greatly affected the lifestyle and eating choices of students. Emphasizing the importance of parenting style for adolescents’ sense of empowerment and underscoring the need for parental involvement in prevention programs.Keywords: Social media Affinity, Eating Attitudes, Body Dissatisfaction, School Age Children, Adolescent Girls