A cross-sectional study on the influence of social media usage on the eating habits of adolescents studying in urban educational institutions of Bengaluru

Abstract Background: Social media has deeply infiltrated the lives of adolescents, making them prone to several health problems, one of them being overweight and obesity. The root cause of this problem is the influence of social media on faulty eating habits, which need to be evaluated. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of social media usage on the eating habits of adolescents studying in urban educational institutions in Bengaluru. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2024 among adolescents aged 10–19 years studying in urban educational institutions in Bengaluru. A total of 394 subjects were included in the study. Students were interviewed and assessed using a questionnaire measuring the effects of social media on eating behavior. The data collected were entered into Microsoft Excel and were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results: The total number of participants for the study was 394, of which 199 (50.5%) were males and 195 (49.5%) were females. Based on the score calculated from the responses given by the participants for the questionnaire, it was found that 49% (193) of students were influenced by social media on their eating habits. Association between influence of social media on eating habits and gender ( P = 0.006), class ( P = 0.006), type of educational institute ( P = 0.044), and fathers’ qualification ( P = 0.015) was statistically significant. Conclusion: Nearly half of adolescents were influenced by social media on their eating habits.