Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran Collaborates on International Study Linking Digital Behavior and Weight-Related Self-Stigma
An international team of researchers from Malaysia, Taiwan, Australia, the UK, and Indonesia has published a study exploring how problematic social media and smartphone use may contribute to weight-related self-stigma among young adults. The study, which appears in the International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, included Iqbal Pramukti, S.Kep.,Ners.,M.Sc., Ph.D. from the Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD).
Using a convenience sample of 622 Malaysian university students (mean age = 23.70 years), the research examined how mental distress, specifically depression and stress, could influence self-stigma related to body weight. Drawing on the Interaction of Person–Affect–Cognition–Execution (I-PACE) model, the team tested whether problematic social media use (PSMU) and problematic smartphone use (PSPU) acted as mediators in these relationships.
Hierarchical regression analysis showed that sex, BMI, depression, stress, PSMU, and PSPU all significantly predicted higher levels of weight-related self-stigma. Mediation models further demonstrated that both PSMU and PSPU played critical roles in transmitting the effects of depression and stress into heightened self-stigma. These findings suggest that addressing excessive digital engagement could be a key component of interventions aimed at reducing the psychological burden associated with weight stigma.
By revealing how mental health challenges can interact with digital behaviors to affect self-image, this research aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-Being, highlighting the importance of integrated strategies that target both mental health and digital wellness.
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