Is Eating Pathology Prevalent Among Social Media Users of Karachi, Pakistan ? A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Objective: Social media has been known to influence eating habits especially amongst children and adolescents. However, substantive literature is not present that thoroughly investigates a correlation between eating disorder pathology and the use of social media applications for male and female subjects, especially in a developing country like Pakistan. This study aims to investigate and compare the effects of social media on eating disorder pathology development in young male and female Pakistanis and analyze what factors (frequency of use, type of application, content etc) increase eating disorder pathology risk amongst them. Results: The mean age of the sample was 21.1±2.6 years. A positive correlation was seen between excessive use of social media and the risk of ED pathology. High EDE-Q scorers used social media everyday and acknowledged social media pressure to stay thin. However no statistically significant differences were seen amongst male vs female subjects. Social media usage correlated with developing BID and ED pathology amongst young Pakistani users. However further investigated is warranted in other populations to reach a more substantive conclusion.