Social Media and High-Risk Eating Behaviors in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours are crucial mental health concerns, yet evidence linking social media use to eating-related outcomes in adult populations, particularly in Saudi Arabia, remains limited and primarily focused on female or student samples. This study examined the prevalence of disordered eating risk among Saudi adults and its association with social media engagement, body mass index (BMI), and sociodemographic factors. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults residing in Saudi Arabia. Disordered eating risk was assessed using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and social media engagement was measured as frequency of use across multiple daily routines using the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SMEQ). BMI and sociodemographic variables were self-reported. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and multivariable linear regression were performed to examine associations between study variables. Results: Approximately 43% of respondents were at high risk of disordered eating behaviors. Social media engagement was prevalent; however, its association with disordered eating risk was weak and inverse (Spearman's Rho = -0.1243, p < 0.01). BMI showed domain-specific associations across eating-related domains, while most sociodemographic factors were not strongly associated with disordered eating outcomes. Conclusions: Disordered eating behaviors were present among adults in Saudi Arabia and extend beyond traditionally studied high-risk groups. The weak inverse association indicates that frequency of social media use alone may not be a reliable indicator of eating-related risk in adults and likely does not capture content- and comparison-specific mechanisms. Findings highlight the need for broader screening and prevention efforts, as well as for longitudinal research using content- and behavior-specific measures of social media exposure to clarify mechanisms in adult populations.