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Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran Collaborates on International Study Linking Digital Behavior and Weight-Related Self-Stigma<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2013Affect\u2013Cognition\u2013Execution (I-PACE) model, the team tested whether problematic social media use (PSMU) and problematic smartphone use (PSPU) acted as mediators in these relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n