RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERNET ADDICTION, EATING HABITS AND BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A NUTRITION AND HEALTH SCIENCES STUDY

Abstract

Objective: To study Internet addiction, eating attitudes, and BMI among university students in Karachi, Pakistan. Methodology: A descriptive Cross-sectional study was conducted on students of Universities in Karachi from September 2022 to February 2023 using the Non-Probability Convenience sampling approach. Sample size was determined using Epi Info version 7 at a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. Data collection was done with the help of a questioner summing up social demographic data, Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and the 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Anthropometric measurements were used to find BMI. Associations were checked using appropriate non-parametric and correlation analyses; p < .05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The total number of participants was 359. The most common category was moderate Internet addiction, with 58.5%, and 7.5% had severe Internet addiction. There was no significant difference in the IAT scores based on sex (p= .282). Females had significant high EAT-26 scores (p< .001), while males had a significant high BMI rank (p= .033). IAT scores had a weak significant negative correlation with EAT-26 scores (r = −.192, p < .001), and no significant correlation with BMI (r = .028, p = .589). Conclusion: Problematic Internet use was present among university students and was not associated with BMI. The weak inverse correlation of Internet addiction and eating-attitude scores shows that the relationship of Internet addiction and eating attitudes is likely to be complex and may differ in different populations. Complex behavioral patterns need to be studied in-depth with longitudinal studies.