Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Children and Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1261133
This article is part of the Research Topic Interventions to Prevent or Reduce Unhealthy Habits in Children and Adolescents during Restricted Conditions View all 11 articles

Associations between Social Network Addiction, Anxiety Symptoms, and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Peruvian Adolescents -A Cross-sectional Study

Provisionally accepted
Jacksaint Saintila Jacksaint Saintila 1*Susan M. Oblitas-Guerrero Susan M. Oblitas-Guerrero 1Giovanna Larrain-Tavara Giovanna Larrain-Tavara 1Isabel G. Lizarraga De Maguiña Isabel G. Lizarraga De Maguiña 1Fátima del Carmen Bernal-Corrales Fátima del Carmen Bernal-Corrales 1Elmer López-López Elmer López-López 1Yaquelin E. Calizaya-Milla Yaquelin E. Calizaya-Milla 2Antonio Serpa Barrientos Antonio Serpa Barrientos 3Cristian Ramos-Vera Cristian Ramos-Vera 4
  • 1 Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo, Peru
  • 2 Universidad Peruana Unión, Lima, Peru
  • 3 National University of San Marcos, Lima, Lima, Peru
  • 4 Cesar Vallejo University, Herrera, Peru

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The link between physical and mental health and screen time in adolescents has been the subject of scientific scrutiny in recent years. However, there are few studies that have evaluated the association between social network addiction (SNA) and metabolic risk in this population. Objective: This study determined the association between SNA and anxiety symptoms with the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Peruvian adolescents aged 12 to 18 years, who completed a Social Network Addiction Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item scale (GAD-2), between September and November 2022. A total of 903 participants were included in the study using a non-probability convenience sample. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data were also collected. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the association between SNA and anxiety symptoms with MetS in a cross-sectional analysis. Results: Males were more likely to have MetS than females (OR = 1.133, p = 0.028). Participants who were 16 years of age or older and those with excess body weight were 2.166, p = 0.013 and 19.414, p < 0.001 times more likely to have MetS, respectively. Additionally, SNA (OR = 1.517, p = 0.016) and the presence of anxiety symptoms (OR = 2.596, p < 0.001) were associated with MetS. Conclusion: Our findings suggest associations between SNA, anxiety symptoms, and MetS among youth. However, more studies are needed to better understand this association and to deepen the possible clinical and public health implications.

    Keywords: adolescents, Anxiety symptoms, Cardiometabolic risk, metabolic syndrome, Obesity, Social network addiction

    Received: 18 Jul 2023; Accepted: 16 Apr 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Saintila, Oblitas-Guerrero, Larrain-Tavara, Lizarraga De Maguiña, Bernal-Corrales, López-López, Calizaya-Milla, Serpa Barrientos and Ramos-Vera. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jacksaint Saintila, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo, Peru

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.