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Elucidating the role of social media usage on eating behavior and hedonic hunger in college students: A cross-sectional design
This research examines the influence of social media on eating behaviors, particularly focusing on hedonic hunger, defined as the heightened desire for palatable foods. A sample of 860 college students aged 18 to 39 was analyzed, revealing that Instagram was the most utilized platform (60.1%). Participants reported an average of 3.56 ± 1.91 hours spent on social media daily, with female students engaging significantly more than their male counterparts (p < 0.001). The mean score on the Power of Food Scale (PFS) was 3.52 ± 0.77, with specific subscale scores indicating food availability at 3.26 ± 0.99, food present at 3.49 ± 0.89, and food tasted at 3.76 ± 0.87. Notably, females spending over 2 hours on social media exhibited higher Scale of Effects of Social Media on Eating Behavior (SESMEB) scores compared to those spending less time (p = 0.015). A positive correlation was established between SESMEB and aggregated PFS scores (r = 0.381), as well as with individual subscale scores for food availability (r = 0.369), food present (r = 0.354), and food tasted (r = 0.282). Furthermore, each unit increase in SESMEB score was associated with an 8% increase in the risk of experiencing hedonic hunger. The findings underscore the necessity of addressing the influence of social media on dietary habits to foster healthier eating patterns among youth. [NPID: social media, instagram, behavior, availability, dietary habits, youth].
Year: 2024
