Evaluation of the Relationship between Internet Addiction and Nutritional Habits and BMI/Z-Score: A Cross-Sectional Study on Adolescents

Abstract

Aim: Internet addiction affects childhood and adolescence when physiological, psychological and social development is rapid and most habits, especially nutrition, are acquired. This research was planned and conducted to evaluate the relationship between internet addiction and nutritional habits, and body weight-obesity (BMI/Z-score) in adolescents. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 679 adolescents using simple random sampling method and face-to-face interview technique. The questionnaire form, prepared by the researchers by scanning the current literature, includes the socio-demographic characteristics of adolescents, nutritional habits, food groups that should be consumed daily according to Türkiye Nutrition Guide (TÜBER), physical activity levels of adolescents, internet and smartphone usage and the “Young's Internet Addiction Test (YIAT-SF)”. Results: The mean BMI and Z-score of the adolescents with a mean age of 14.06±2.06 years were 20.67±3.7kg/m2 and 1.24±1.10, respectively. According to the Z-score, 77.0% of the adolescents were categorized as underweight/normal and 23.0% as overweight/obese. Overweight/obese adolescents have significantly higher internet and smartphone usage times compared to underweight/normal adolescents. The YIAT-SF scores of adolescents were 26.2±7.6, and the scores of overweight/obese adolescents (27.8±7.0) were significantly higher than those of underweight/normal adolescents (25.7±7.7). Internet addiction levels of adolescents who consume TÜBER’s daily recommended levels of milk and dairy products, bread and grain products, and vegetables are significantly lower than those who consume sometimes or never consume. A strong positive correlation was determined between adolescents' Z-scores and internet addiction, and as adolescents' internet addiction increases, their Z-scores and obesity risks also increase. Conclusion: Research findings have shown that adolescents have significantly unhealthy eating habits, do not consume healthy food groups at the daily recommended levels, and this situation is associated with internet addiction. There is a need for large-scale prospective studies in which the relationship between internet addiction, eating habits, and abnormal body weight will be examined in detail with objective measurements.

Keywords

• Adolescent
• Nutrition
• Internet addiction
• YIAT-SF
• Z-score

İnternet Bağımlılığının Beslenme Alışkanlıkları ve BKİ/Z-Skor ile İlişkisinin Değerlendirilmesi: Adölesanlar Üzerinde Kesitsel Bir Araştırma

Abstract

Giriş ve Amaç: İnternet bağımlılığı özellikle fizyolojik, psikolojik ve sosyal gelişimin hızlı olduğu, başta beslenme olmak üzere çoğu alışkanlıkların kazanıldığı çocukluk ve adölesan dönemi etkilemektedir. Bu araştırma, adölesanlarda internet bağımlılığının beslenme alışkanlıkları ve vücut ağırlığı-obezite (BKİ/Z-Skor) ile ilişkisini değerlendirmek amacıyla planlanmış ve yürütülmüştür. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Tanımlayıcı-kesitsel tipte olan bu araştırmaya basit rastgele örneklem metodu ve yüz yüze görüşme tekniği kullanılarak 679 adölesan dahil edilmiştir. Araştırmacılar tarafından güncel literatürün taranmasıyla hazırlanan anket formu adölesanların sosyo demografik özelliklerini, beslenme alışkanlıklarını, Türkiye Beslenme Rehberi’ne (TÜBER) göre günlük tüketilmesi gereken besin gruplarını, adölesanların fiziksel aktivite düzeylerini, internet ve akıllı telefon kullanım durumları ile “Young İnternet Bağımlılığı Ölçeği–Kısa Form (YİBÖ-KF)”unu içermektedir. Bulgular: Yaş ortalaması 14,06±2,06 yıl olan adölesanların BKİ ve Z-skor ortalamaları sırasıyla 20,67±3,7kg/m2 ve 1,24±1,10’dur. Z-skor’a göre adölesanların %77,0’ı zayıf/normal, %23,0’ı şişman/obez olarak kategorize edilmiştir. Şişman/obez adölesanların zayıf/normal olanlara kıyasla internet ve akıllı telefon kullanım sürelerinin anlamlı olarak yüksektir. Adölesanların YİBÖ-KF puanları 26,2±7,6 olup şişman/obez adölesanların puanları (27,8±7,0) zayıf/normal olanlara kıyasla (25,7±7,7) anlamlı olarak yüksektir. TÜBER’in günlük önerdiği düzeyde süt ve süt ürünleri, ekmek ve tahıl ürünleri ile sebze tüketen adölesanların internet bağımlılık düzeyleri bazen tüketen veya hiç tüketmeyenlere kıyasla anlamlı olarak düşüktür. Adölesanların Z-skorları ile internet bağımlılıkları arasında kuvvetli pozitif korelasyon belirlenmiş olup adölesanların internet bağımlılıkları arttıkça Z-skorları ve obezite riskleri de artmaktadır. Sonuç: Araştırma bulguları adölesanların önemli ölçüde sağlıksız beslenme alışkanlıklarına sahip olduklarını, sağlıklı besin gruplarını günlük önerilen düzeyde tüketmediklerini ve bu durumun internet bağımlılığı ile ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir. İnternet bağımlılığı ve beslenme alışkanlıkları ile anormal vücut ağırlığı arasındaki ilişkinin objektif ölçümler ile detaylıca irdeleneceği, geniş ölçekli ileriye dönük çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.

Keywords

• Adölesan
• Beslenme
• İnternet bağımlılığı
• YİBÖ-KF
• Z-skor

Ethical Statement

Bu araştırma için Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Rektörlüğü Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Kurulu’nun 14/06/2023 tarih ve 2023/03 sayılı toplantısı kararı ile E-95674917-108.99-181925 numaralı etik onay alınmıştır.

Thanks

Araştırmaya katılan ve katkı sağlayan tüm adölesanlara teşekkür ederiz.

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