The Relationship Between Smartphone Addiction and Body Image Disorder and Eating Disorder in Female Adolescents

Radmard , MohammadReza; Kakavand , Alireza; Ahmadi , AbdolJavad

Volume 14 - Articles-1403 MEJDS (2024) 14: 26 | Back to browse issues page

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Radmard M, Kakavand A, Ahmadi A. The Relationship Between Smartphone Addiction and Body Image Disorder and Eating Disorder in Female Adolescents. MEJDS 2024; 14 :26-26
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-3345-en.html

The Relationship Between Smartphone Addiction and Body Image Disorder and Eating Disorder in Female Adolescents

MohammadReza Radmard¹

, Alireza Kakavand ^*

², AbdolJavad Ahmadi²

1- MA Student in General Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
2- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

Abstract: (519 Views)

Abstract
Background & Objectives: Today, the use of smartphones has increased dramatically among teenage girls. Experts believe that this excessive use of smartphones can cause body image and eating disorders in adolescent girls. The emergence of social networks such as Facebook and Instagram may have increased body image dissatisfaction through social comparison. The media are a potent and influential tool in guiding women towards eating disorders and body dissatisfaction. Media advertising, especially advertising related to the beauty and slimming industry, can promote unhealthy ideals about body weight and shape. These ads usually show images of skinny and make–up bodies as beauty models and increase anxiety in people. This concern may lead to unhealthy ideals about body weight and shape, which can lead to disturbed body image and eating disorders. The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between smartphone addiction, body image, and eating disorders in female adolescents.
Methods: The current research design was analytical and used correlational models. The statistical population of this research comprised all teenage girls aged 15 and 18, living in the 18^th district of Tehran City, Iran, in 2023. Of them, 200 were selected by convenience sampling. According to Julie Pallant's formula, the sample size is N>50+8m, where m is the number of predictor variables, and N is the minimum sample size. Considering that there were three predictor variables in this research, the minimum suitable sample size was 74. To increase the validity of the test and control the possible dropout of subjects, the sample size was increased to 200 female teenagers studying in four high schools and conservatories. The secondary high school girls of the second year were determined in the 18th district of Tehran. They were selected using a non–random sampling method, and they completed the study questionnaires in the spring of 2023. The inclusion criteria were as follows: access to the online questionnaires, being in the age range of teenagers (15 to 18 years old), being in the target area, and answering the questions consciously. The exclusion criteria were not being satisfied with participating in the research, not completing all the questions in the questionnaire, and the occurrence of any physical or mental problems for the participants. The participants responded to the Cell Phone Addiction Scale (Koo, 2009), the Body Image Questionnaire (Fisher, 1970), and the Nutrition Attitude Questionnaire (Garner et al., 1982). Data analysis was done using multiple linear regression and Pearson correlation coefficient at a significant level of 0.05 in SPSS software version 26.
Results: The findings showed that tolerance of deprivation (β= –0.232, p<0.001), life disturbance (β= –0.311, p<0.001), and insistence (β=–0.354, p<0.001) predicted body image disorder in adolescent girls. Also, tolerance of deprivation (β = 0.225, p = 0.05), life disorder (β=0.314, p<0.001), and insistence (β=0.224, p=0.04) predicted eating disorders in adolescent girls. In addition, 62% of the variance of body image disorder and 44% of the variance of eating disorder were explained based on the components of smartphone addiction (deprivation tolerance, life disorder, compulsion–insistence).
Conclusion: The results of the present study determined that smartphone addiction and its components (tolerance of deprivation, life disorder, compulsion–insistence) are predictors of body image and eating disorders in adolescent girls.

Keywords: Smartphone addiction, Body image disturbances, Eating disorder, Adolescent girls

Full-Text [PDF 353 kb] (229 Downloads)

Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Psychology

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