Social network support and risk factors for obesity and overweight in adolescents

To determine the relationship between social support in social networks and risk factors of overweight and obesity including healthy lifestyles and perceived barriers in adolescents.

Descriptive and cross-sectional study with adolescents from a public high school in Nuevo León, Mexico. Anthropometric measurements were determined to obtain body mass index, behavioural measurements for perceived barriers to healthy eating and physical activity, as well as healthy lifestyles.

A total of 188 adolescents participated, male sex predominated at 55.9%, mean age was 16.1 years. From them, 52.1% were overweight, less than half of the adolescents reported having friends on social networks (37.8%); 52% of overweight participants need changes in their diet and the majority reported low physical activity (82.7%). There is a correlation between social support in social networks and perceived barriers to physical activity in overweight adolescents (r₂ 0.144; p < 0.05).

Most of the adolescents do not have an adequate diet or perform recommended physical activity, one of the main causes is lack of motivation as a perceived barrier. Social networks represent a tool for nursing staff to promote health and develop interventions aimed at preventing disease in a global context in digital transition.