ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Substance Use Disorders and Behavioral Addictions
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1654322
Determ&nants and Relat&onsh&ps of D&g&tal Add&ct&on, D&et Qual&ty, and Phys&cal Act&v&ty &n Adolescents
Provisionally accepted
Gizem Helvacı1*
Fatma Tayhan2- 1Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Türkiye
- 2Cankiri Karatekin Universitesi, Çankır, Türkiye
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Objective: Digital addiction, defined as spending excessive time on digital devices and online platforms, is a global problem that particularly affects young people. This form of addiction can lead individuals to a sedentary lifestyle while also increasing the risk of them turning to unhealthy and ready-made foods. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of digital addiction among Turkish adolescents. We also aimed to determine the relationships between digital addiction, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and physical activity, and to determine the extent to which these variables mutually predict each other.The data of this cross-sectional study were collected from 400 high school students through the use of a survey in the form of a questionnaire. The survey included general information, dietary habits, the Digital Addiction Scale (DAS), the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED), the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ), and the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES). IBM SPSS 25.0 software was used for data analysis.Results: Of the students, 23.8% had a digital addiction. Eating during social media use (Beta=0.158) and night eating habits (Beta=0.337) positively affected the DAS scores (p<0.05).The KIDMED score (Beta=-0.233) and being physically active (Beta=-0.136) negatively affected the DAS scores (p<0.05). Compliance with the Mediterranean diet was low in 26%, moderate in 46%, and high in 28% of the students. The number of main meals (Beta=0.254) and father's education level (Beta=0.200) positively affected the KIDMED scores (p<0.05). Of the students, 51.5% were active, 32% were moderately active, and 16.5% were sedentary. The PACES scores positively affected the LTEQ scores (Beta=0.189, p<0.001).Approximately a quarter of students had digital addiction symptoms. Digital addiction levels tended to decrease as Mediterranean diet adherence and physical activity levels increased. A holistic healthy lifestyle curriculum can be designed to promote healthy eating habits and physical activity among young people, reduce screen time, and increase media literacy. This curriculum, designed for implementation in schools, can support students in engaging in mindful behaviors.
Keywords: Digital Addiction, mediterranean diet, physical activity, Adolescent, Healthy lifestyle
Received: 27 Jun 2025; Accepted: 12 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Helvacı and Tayhan. 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: Gizem Helvacı, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Türkiye
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