Evaluation of Social Media Addiction and Obesity Awareness in Children Aged 10–14

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate levels of social media addiction and obesity awareness among children aged 10–14, examine their relationship, and identify factors affecting both conditions within a primary care context.
METHODS: : An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with 228 children aged 10–14 years who attended central secondary schools in a district in Türkiye. Those who agreed to participate in the survey were asked to complete a Personal Information Form to record their socio-demographic characteristics, as well as the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents(SMAS-A) and the Obesity Awareness Scale(OAS). Approval for the study was obtained from the Ankara City Hospital Ethics Committee (approval number: E1-22-2566).
RESULTS: Among the participants, 23.2% were overweight, 10.1% were obese, and the mean daily social media use was 128.88 minutes. Social media addiction levels were low (18.20±7.54), while obesity awareness was high (56.39±7.76). A weak but statistically significant negative correlation was found between social media addiction and obesity awareness. In multivariable linear regression analysis, social media addiction scores remained independently associated with obesity awareness. While no significant association was found between BMI and social media addiction, a weak negative association was observed between BMI and obesity awareness. Regular exercise was significantly associated with both scale scores. A positive significant correlation was detected between daily social media use and addiction scores, whereas a negative significant correlation was found with obesity awareness.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: School-based and primary care-oriented initiatives that promote physical activity and healthy digital habits may contribute to improving adolescent health, increasing obesity awareness, and preventing problematic social media use.

Keywords: Social media addiction, obesity, health knowledge, practice, adolescent, primary health care