The Relationship Between Eating Disorder Risk and Fear of Dislike on Social Media, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between eating disorder risk, social media, and psychological factors among high school students. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, eating disorder risk was assessed using the Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40), fear of being disliked on social media was evaluated using the Social Media Fear of Dislike Scale (SMFDS), psychological factors were measured with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42) high school form. Results: According to the EAT-40 scale, 15.4% of students were at risk for eating disorders. Based on the DASS-42 scale, extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were revealed in 18.3%, 21.5%, and 10.5% of students, respectively. Female students had higher levels of fear of being disliked on social media, depression, anxiety, and stress compared to male students; however, no significant difference was observed regarding eating disorder risk. A positive and significant correlation was found between eating disorder risk and fear of being disliked on social media, depression, anxiety, and stress values (r=0.215, p<0.001; r=0.217, p<0.001; r=0.302, p<0.001; r=0.245, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: The risk of eating disorders in high school students is associated with social media use and psychological factors. These findings emphasize the need for a more detailed examination of the effects of social media use and related psychological factors on eating behaviors.