Sex differences in social network addiction and emotional eating among adolescents in a Peruvian region: a cross-sectional analysis

Background: Maladaptive eating behaviors are becoming increasingly prevalent among adolescents, and their relationship to exposure to media messages has been extensively examined. However, more specifically, the influence of social networks on emotional eating (EmE) has received relatively less attention in the Peruvian context. Objective: To determine the association between social network addiction (SNA) and EmE among Peruvian adolescents, considering sex differences. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 878 adolescents were considered. The Social Network Addiction Questionnaire and the Emotional Eating Questionnaire were administered. Similarly, sociodemographic data were collected. To explore the association between SNA and EmE, we performed Poisson regression analyses with robust variance. We considered a p-value of equal to or less than 0.05 as statistically significant. Results: Adolescents with an EmE score greater than 5 had significantly higher SNA scores, averaging 24.7 (± 12.3), compared to 15.5 (± 10.3) in those with an EmE score between 0 and 5 (p < 0.001). In multiple regression analyses, men with moderate/severe SNA were 1.77 times more likely to have EmE compared to those without SNA (95% CI 1.45–2.15; p < 0.001), while in women, moderate/severe SNA was associated with a 1.98 times higher likelihood of EmE (95% CI 1.61–2.45; p < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for public health interventions to educate adolescents about the use of social networks to minimize the negative effects of prolonged exposure on eating habits.