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Cited by 35Eating Disorders and BehaviorsImpact of Technology on AdolescentsBody Image and Dysmorphia Studies

Association of Smartphone Use With Body Image Distortion and Weight Loss Behaviors in Korean Adolescents

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Kwon, Sohyeon, Kim, Rockli, Lee, Jong-Tae, Kim, Jinho, Song, Sunmi, Kim, Seongcheol, Oh, Hannah·2022·JAMA Network Open
DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.13237PMC PMC9123497
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Abstract

Importance: Despite high use of smartphones among adolescents, little is known about the association of smartphone use with body image and related behaviors. Objective: To examine the associations of duration of smartphone use and types of content most frequently accessed via smartphone with body image distortion and weight loss behaviors in adolescents. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used data from the population-based Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey 2017. Participants comprised a nationally representative sample of 53 133 Korean adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Data were collected from June 1 to July 18, 2017. The analysis was performed from February 7, 2020, to March 30, 2022. Exposures: Self-reported duration of smartphone use (min/d) and types of content (educational or informational searches; chatting, messaging, or email; social networking services or forums; games; videos, movies, or music; webtoons or web novels; and shopping or other activities) most frequently accessed during smartphone use. Main Outcomes and Measures: Body image distortion (overperception of body weight), weight loss attempt, use of inappropriate weight loss strategies (skipping meals, eating only 1 food at a time, vomiting, or using laxatives), and healthy weight loss behaviors (muscle-strengthening and aerobic physical activity). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs, accounting for survey sampling and adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Among 53 133 participants, the mean (SD) age was 15.0 (1.8) years; 50.7% of participants were female, and 49.3% were male. After adjusting for types of content accessed, prolonged smartphone use (≥301 min/d) was positively associated with body image distortion (boys: OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.07-1.28; girls: OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.10-1.30) and inappropriate weight loss strategies (boys: OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.25-1.90; girls: OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 2.14-2.79) in both sexes compared with minimal smartphone use (1-120 min/d). After adjusting for duration of smartphone use, the use of smartphones mainly for videos, movies, or music (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.29), webtoons or web novels (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.10-1.48), and games (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03-1.32) was positively associated with body image distortion in boys compared with the use of smartphones mainly for educational or informational content. Among boys, the use of smartphones mainly for chatting, messaging, or email was positively associated with muscle-strengthening activity (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.18-1.44) and aerobic physical activity (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.29-1.55), as was the use of smartphones mainly for social networking services or forums (muscle-strengthening activity: OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.13-1.42; aerobic physical activity: OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15-1.43). Among girls, the use of smartphones mainly for chatting, messaging, or email was positively associated with weight loss attempts (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.19-1.51) and the use of inappropriate weight loss strategies (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.25-1.99), as was the use of smartphones mainly for social networking services or forums (weight loss attempts: OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.07-1.36; use of inappropriate weight loss strategies: OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.08-1.73). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, both the duration of smartphone use and the types of content most frequently accessed via smartphone were associated with body image distortion and weight loss behaviors in adolescents. These findings suggest a need for the identification of strategies to help adolescents develop healthy smartphone use behaviors.

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  • There is mixed evidence from three studies for associations between social media use and body dissatisfaction.

    “There is mixed evidence from three studies for associations between social media use and body dissatisfaction”

    From Associations between social media, adolescent mental health, and diet: A systematic review (2023) · cites this paper as [45]

    The Introduction discusses social media as a possible route for spreading body dissatisfaction, and the Discussion reports an association between smartphone use and body image distortion in Korean adolescents. But this is one smartphone-use study; it does not establish that evidence from three studies on social media use and body dissatisfaction is mixed. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [14]Liu J. The influence of the body image presented through TikTok trend-videos and its possible reasons. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Language, Art and Cultural Exchange (ICLACE 2021). Atlantis Press. June 10, 2021. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/iclace-21/125957570
  2. [38]An AB. Performing logistic regression on survey data with the new surveylogistic procedure. SAS Institute; 2002. Accessed May 24, 2020. https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings/proceedings/sugi27/p258-27.pdf
  3. [45]Avery RJ, Cawley JH, Eisenberg M, Cantor JH. Raising red flags: the change in deceptive advertising of weight loss products after the Federal Trade Commission’s 2003 Red Flag initiative. J Public Policy Mark. 2013;32(1):129-139.
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  5. [64]Mérelle SYM, Kleiboer AM, Schotanus M,. Which health-related problems are associated with problematic video-gaming or social media use in adolescents? a large-scale cross-sectional study. Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2017;14(1):11-19.

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Authors
Kwon, S., Kim, R., Lee, J.-T., Kim, J., Song, S., Kim, S., & Oh, H.
Affiliations
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
  • Korea University (KR)
Corresponding author
Oh, Hannah
ORCID
Venue
JAMA Network Open
Publisher
American Medical Association (AMA)
Published
2022-05-20
Volume
5
Issue
5
Pages
e2213237
ISSN
2574-3805 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.13237
PMC
PMC9123497
OpenAlex
W4280494796
Cited by
35
References
56
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8
FWCI
6.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • JAMA Network Open (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Research Foundation
  • National Research Foundation of Korea (2019S1A3A2099973)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
Keywords
smartphone use, body image distortion, weight loss behavior, adolescents, disordered eating, social networking services, webtoons, physical activity, Korean adolescents, sex differences
MeSH terms
Smartphone, Adolescent, Body Image, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Weight Loss, Republic of Korea

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