Social media use and its association with disordered eating among Nutrition Science students

ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess the association between the use of social media and disordered eating and to identify predictors of disordered eating. Methods: Study carried out with 207 Nutrition Science students. Three measures were applied to evaluate sociodemographic data, the use of social media, and disordered eating (Eating Attitudes Test-26). Associations between the use of social media and disordered eating were evaluated by the Chi-square test (p < 0.05). Binary logistic regression was conducted to assess predictors of disordered eating, considering the odds ratios. Results: Disordered eating was observed in 27.9% of Nutrition Science students. Variables of the use of social media associated with disordered eating include following dietary tips and consuming foods suggested by the media, the time of social media use, dieting or following nutritional guidance, motivation to engage in a diet without nutritional monitoring, consumption of food and drugs for weight loss. Predictors of disordered eating were “I have consumed food proposed by the media, with the aim of losing weight” and “When observing ‘beauty’ bodies disseminated by the media, I feel motivated to follow a diet without a nutritional monitoring of a nutritionist”. Conclusions: Several beliefs and behaviors oriented to the use of social media were associated with disordered eating in Nutrition Science students, in which there were greater odds ratio of developing risky behaviors when consuming food for weight loss and motivation to follow a diet without nutritional monitoring, even in Nutrition Science students.