Smartphone use and its association with body image distortion and weight loss behaviours among adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Concerns about the harmful effects of smartphone use on teenage development have been raised as the use of cell phones among adolescents has risen.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the associations of smartphone usage patterns with Body Image Distortion (BID) and weight loss behaviors among adolescent smartphone users in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2022. We assessed the mean daily length of smartphone use and classified it into quartiles using data from a self-reported survey and data on weekday and weekend use. Self-reported body weight and height were collected via an online survey. Out of the 11384 adolescents, the majority was females (65.7%) and was secondary school students (68.9%).

Results: The prolonged smartphone use (301 min/d) was found in 36.4% of adolescents, 181-300 min/d in 27.6% of respondents, 121-180 min/d in 22.4% of respondents, while the modest smartphone use (1-120 min/d) was found only in 13.6% of participants. The duration of smartphone use was significantly associated with BID (P= 0.000); students with middle perceived stress levels (51.4%) and no depressive symptoms (68.9%) used smartphones 121-180 min/d sparingly. However, prolonged smartphone use was significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms (42.6%) and high perceived stress levels (21.5%). Weight loss behaviors were significantly associated with smartphone use duration. Modest smartphone use was significantly found in students with normal weight (P= 0.00, 71.9%); however, aerobic physical activity weight loss strategy (P= 0.00, 30.9%) was correlated with prolonged smartphone use.

Conclusion: Adequate parental advice is required to assist teenagers in developing healthy smartphone usage practices. Digital platform companies may increase their social responsibility for the information generated and delivered on their networks, boosting its beneficial effect.