The moderating effects of gender and emotional eating on the relationship between social media addiction and hedonic hunger in university students

The widespread use of social media has become an important factor influencing eating behaviors, particularly among university students who are heavily exposed to digital content. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between social media addiction and hedonic hunger and to explore the moderating roles of gender and emotional eating. This cross-sectional study was conducted online during the 2023-2024 academic years and included 930 university students from Türkiye. Data were collected using the Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form (SMAS-AF) and the Power of Food Scale (PFS). Emotional eating was assessed by asking participants about their overall mood and whether their emotional state influenced their eating behavior, including changes in food intake (increased, decreased, or no change). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS and the PROCESS Macro, with significance set at p < 0.05. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between SMAS-AF and PFS scores (B = 0.61, p < 0.01). Emotional eating significantly moderated this relationship (B = - 0.24, p < 0.01), while gender did not. Students who perceived their nutritional knowledge as inadequate, reported unbalanced eating habits, or viewed themselves as overweight or obese consistently exhibited higher scores on both the scales (p < 0.05). These results underscore the need for interventions that address emotional regulation, nutrition literacy, and media awareness to mitigate the impact of social media on eating behaviors in young adults.