Cell Phone Use and Adolescent Weight Problems

Abstract

Overweight in adolescence increases the risk of obesity and many adverse health outcomes later in life. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between cell adolesphone use and weight status in adolescents, ages 14-17 years old, living in the United States. The socio-ecological model (SEM) was used to explain the link between cell phone use and overweight among adolescents. Three research questions were used to explore (a) the relationship between cell phone use and adolescent weight status after controlling for age, gender, and race; (b) the effect of cell phone use on overweight and normal weight statuses among adolescents aged 14-17 years after controlling for age, gender, and physical activity; and ( c) the modifying effect of race on the relationship between cell phone use and adolescent overweight after controlling for age and gender. Secondary data from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System were analyzed using binary logistic regression to answer the research questions. High cell phone use significantly and positively predicted overweight in adolescents after controlling for age, gender, and race (p < 0.001). After accounting for age, gender, and physical activity, high cell phone use was a significant predictor of overweight (p < 0.001). Similarly, race had a significant modifying effect on the positive association between high cell use and overweight among adolescents (p < 0.001). The key positive social change implication of this study is the potential to integrate healthy cell phone use with existing obesity public health interventions that can reduce overweight and positively impact individuals, families, and communities