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Longitudinal Associations Between Adolescents' mHealth App Use, Body Dissatisfaction, and Physical Self-Worth: Random
Hayriye Gulec1, Michal Muzik1, David Smahel1
1Interdisciplinary Research Team on Internet and Society, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
JMIR Mental Health
|March 11, 2025
Summary
Mobile health (mHealth) app use positively impacts adolescent girls' physical self-worth but does not affect body dissatisfaction. Findings suggest mHealth apps may benefit adolescent girls' body-related attitudes.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health
- Digital Health
- Body Image Research
Background:
- Limited research exists on mobile health (mHealth) app use and adolescent body image.
- mHealth apps may influence adolescents' body image perceptions and attitudes.
- Adolescents' app usage may be driven by their existing body-related feelings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine longitudinal associations between mHealth app use and body dissatisfaction.
- To investigate the relationship between mHealth app use and physical self-worth in adolescents.
- To explore these associations within individuals over time.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study with a nationally representative sample of 2232 Czech adolescents (11-16 years).
- Data collected via online questionnaires at three 6-month intervals.
- Analyzed mHealth app use (sports, weight, nutrition), physical self-worth, and body dissatisfaction using random intercept cross-lagged panel models.
Main Results:
- Increased mHealth app use predicted higher physical self-worth in girls after 6 months (β=.199, P=.04).
- This effect on girls' physical self-worth was not sustained at 12 months.
- App usage frequency changes did not influence body dissatisfaction in either gender.
Conclusions:
- Within-person changes in mHealth app use showed differential associations with adolescent body attitudes.
- Increased mHealth app use positively impacted adolescent girls' physical self-worth but not body dissatisfaction.
- Findings suggest mHealth apps are unlikely to harm and may benefit adolescent girls' physical self-worth.
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