The effect of social media addiction on bigorexia tendency, exercise addiction, and nutritional status in young adult male individuals

Social media can shape individuals' body perception, leading them to adopt ideal body norms. This situation may prompt individuals to engage in various dietary and exercise endeavors in an attempt to achieve their ideal body type, potentially resulting in behaviors that could jeopardize their health. This research is designed to investigate the effects of social media addiction on tendencies towards bigorexia, exercise addiction, and nutritional status in young adult male individuals. The study will be conducted between May and August 2024 with 128 voluntary young adult male participants aged 20-30 who go to a private gym in Ankara. Participants will be divided into two groups: a study group and a control group. The study group will consist of 64 individuals who have been registered at the gym for at least three months and exercise a minimum of 5 hours per week and/or on at least 3 days. The control group will consist of 64 individuals who have been attending the same gym for at least three months but exercise less than 3 hours per week and/or on fewer than 2 days. All participants will complete a survey with multiple-choice questions regarding their general characteristics, sports and exercise status, diet, and use of dietary supplements, alongside anthropometric measurements. The Social Media Addiction Scale - Adult Form (SMAS-AF) will be used to assess social media addiction, the Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale (MASS) will evaluate tendencies towards bigorexia, and the Exercise Addiction Scale (EAS) will determine levels of exercise addiction. Additionally, the Food Consumption Frequency Questionnaire will be administered to assess participants' food consumption status. The median ages of the participants in the study and control groups are 22.00 [20.00-30.00] and 23.00 [20.00-30.00], respectively. The average body weight of the study and control groups is 78.2±9.56 kg and 78.9±11.67 kg, respectively. The median body fat percentage for the study and control groups is 14.85 [11.80-24.70] and 19.50 [5.00-24.40], respectively. The average body mass index for the study and control groups is 24.31 ± 2.41 kg/m² and 24.7± 2.82 kg/m², respectively. The average total scores on the social media addiction scale for the study and control groups are 48.7±11.22 and 54.8±11.14, respectively, with a statistically significant difference found between the groups' social media addiction scores (p<0.05). In the study group, no statistically significant relationship was found between the social media addiction scale score and the daily intake of energy and macro-nutrient amounts (p>0.05). In the control group, a statistically significant relationship was observed between the social media addiction scale score and the daily protein intake and percentage, as well as the daily fat intake (p<0.05). In the study group, there was no statistically significant relationship between the muscle appearance satisfaction scale and the social media addiction scale (p>0.05). In the control group, a statistically significant relationship was identified between the total score of the muscle appearance satisfaction scale and the exercise addiction scale (p<0.05). A statistically significant relationship was also found between the total score of the muscle appearance satisfaction scale and the total score of the social media addiction scale (p<0.05). Each 1-point increase in social media addiction increased the total score of the muscle satisfaction scale by 0.24 times, while each 1-point increase in exercise addiction increased this score by 0.47. As a result of these findings, it has been observed that as social media addiction and exercise addiction increase, tendencies towards bigorexia also increase among individuals. In conclusion, this study suggests that social media addiction may have an impact on individuals' lifestyles and body perceptions.