The Role of Social Networks in Eating Behavior Disorders among Adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: In addition to facilitating communication among people, social networks provide information and entertainment media. Although this can be favorable, it also has important consequences on the development of anorexia nervosa in adolescents, since such is a stage that involves psychological, physical and social changes.

Objective: To find out how social networks have impacted on the development of anorexia nervosa in adolescents with the purpose of maintaining beauty stereotypes and how, from the public health point of view, this problem could be intervened.

Methods: An integrative review study of original articles was carried out, using mixed methodology and review. The search strategy was to look up in the SciELO, Scopus (ScienceDirect), Dialnet, WOS, CINAHL and MEDLINE/PubMed databases, using the descriptors red social [social network], adolescente [adolescent], salud mental [mental health], trastornos de alimentación e ingestión de alimentos [eating and food ingestion disorders] and anorexia nerviosa [anorexia nervosa], combined with the Booleans AND, NOT and OR; and to answer the question What influence have social networks had on the development of anorexia nervosa in adolescents? Articles published from 2017-2023 in Spanish, English and Portuguese language were included, which also highlighted studied constructs; while articles unrelated to the research objective and without defined constructs were excluded. The PRISMA guide was adopted to evaluate and synthesize the 14 analyzed articles.

Conclusion: The evidence supports the relationship between social networks and anorexia nervosa; therefore; it is important to implement prevention strategies that address recommendations on the use of social networks and mental health in adolescents.