A cross-sectional descriptive analysis of technology addiction in adolescents: associations with food addiction, emotional eating, and body weight status

Toklu Baloglu H., CAFEROĞLU AKIN Z.

Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, cilt.43, sa.1, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 43 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1186/s41043-024-00675-4
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, CINAHL, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Adolescent, BMI, Emotional eating, Food addiction, Technology addiction
  • Erciyes Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of technology addiction (TA) in adolescents, as well as investigate the association of TA with food addiction and emotional eating by body weight status. Methods: Adolescents (n = 1388) completed a questionnaire that featured socio-demographic characteristics, the Game Addiction Scale (GAS), the Social Media Disorder Scale (SMD), the dimensional Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children 2.0 (dYFAS‐C 2.0), and the Emotional Eating Scale Adapted for Use in Children and Adolescents (EES-C). The body mass index (BMI) Z-score was classified according to the World Health Organization. Results: TA was present in one-fifth of adolescents, and boys were four times more likely to develop a digital game addiction (p < 0.001). A 1-point increase in the GAS score is associated with a 1.08-point increase in the dYFAS-C-2.0 score and a 0.5-point increase in the total EES-C score (p < 0.001). A 1-point increase in the SMD score was also related to an increased of 1.21 and 1.26, respectively (p < 0.001). All of these positive associations were significant in adolescents with overweight (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Given the rapidly increasing prevalence of TA among adolescents, its association with food addiction, emotional eating, and body weight status is worrisome, and our findings shed light on the relevance of developing strategies to reduce the prevalence of TA in this population.