Internet addiction, social anxiety and body mass index in adolescents: A predictive correlational design

This study was conducted to measure internet addiction, social anxiety, body mass index and determine predisposing factors for these problems among adolescents. The target population of this predictive correlational study consisted of adolescents who enrolled in a youth center in Turkiye. Overall, 484 participants were included in the study. Data were collected through a personal information form, the Young Internet Addiction Test- Short Form of Adolescents, and the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents. Simple and multiple linear regression were performed for data analysis. Internet addiction risk was found to be higher in adolescents who were in middle adolescence, those whose family income was higher than expenses, those who used the internet for 60 min or more in a one-sitting, those whose daily internet use time was three hours or more, and those with high social anxiety level (p < 0.001). Social anxiety risk was higher in adolescents whose family income was higher than expenses, those who did not participate in sportive activities, those who did not have an internet connection at home, and those with a high internet addiction level (p < 0.001). It was found that 16.8% of the adolescents who used the internet for more than 60 min in a single sitting were overweight and obese (p < 0.05). The study concluded that internet addiction and social anxiety were predictive factors of each other. Duration of internet use was found to increase the risk of obesity and internet addiction. Internet addiction was associated with daily and one-sitting internet use duration, whereas social anxiety was associated with having an internet connection at home and non-participation in sportive activities.