Skip to main content

Cyberbullying Tied to Eating Disorder Symptoms in Early Adolescence

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 13, 2023 -- Cyberbullying victimization and perpetration in early adolescence are associated with eating disorder symptoms, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

Chloe M. Cheng, from University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (2018 to 2020) to examine the association between cyberbullying and eating disorder symptoms in a national sample of 10- to 14-year-olds (10,258 individuals).

The researchers found that cyberbullying victimization was associated with worry about weight gain (prevalence ratio [PR], 2.41), self-worth tied to weight (PR, 2.08), inappropriate compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain (PR, 1.95), binge eating (PR, 1.95), and distress with binge eating (PR, 2.64) in adjusted models. Cyberbullying perpetration was associated with even higher levels of worry about weight gain (PR, 3.52), self-worth tied to weight (PR, 5.59), binge eating (PR, 2.36), and distress with binge eating (PR, 2.84).

"Adolescents experience cyberbullying related to appearance and weight. Cyberbullying can lead to low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and the development of an eating disorder," senior author Jason M. Nagata, M.D., also of the University of California, San Francisco, said in a statement. "Adolescents should limit social media that encourages eating disorders and appearance comparisons. Parents should advise their children to avoid cyberbullying and encourage them to report online harassment if it occurs."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted September 2023

Read this next

Mortality in Rheumatic Heart Disease Is High

FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- Mortality related to rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is high and is correlated with the severity of valve disease, according to a study published online June...

Higher County-Level Prostate Cancer Screening Tied to Better Outcomes

FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- Higher county-level prevalence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is associated with lower odds of advanced disease, all-cause mortality, and...

Metabolic Impact on Offspring Similar for Frozen, Fresh Embryo Transfer

FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- For glucose and lipid profiles during early childhood, the impact of frozen embryo transfer (FET) is comparable to that of fresh embryo transfer, according...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.