Social media use among children and teenagers with asthma bronchiale

Introduction: The health behavior of patients with asthma bronchiale can be influenced by the virtual world (es., Facebook). It is often used to compensate their attachment deficits. Objective: In this study, the use of social media is analyzed among asthmatic children compared to a healthy control group. Method: 250 asthmatic and 250 healthy children were interviewed from the age of 10 to 18. The Facebook Intensity Scale, the Ten Item Personality Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the short version of the Beck Depression Inventory and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children were used in the study. Results: Asthmatic children's social media time was significantly lower compared to that of healthy children (p<0.001). However, their feeling of being part of the Facebook community is the main motivation to use it (p<0.001). Higher scores of anxiety and depression, and the lower self-esteem compared to the healthy control group can be detected among asthmatic children (p<0.001). The increased use of Facebook can be shown in both groups of girls. The increased use of Facebook among girls is in connection with a higher score of depression and anxiety (p<0.05). Conclusion: Social media plays a very important role in the life of asthmatic children. The psychoeducation and prevention is of basic importance, because the age group of 10-18-year-old children is vulnerable to the addictive effect of social media.