Influência das redes sociais para a obesidade em adolescentes

Abstract

The study aimed to identify scientific evidence regarding the influence of social networks on obesity in adolescence. It is an integrative literature review conducted on the following databases: MEDLINE (SciELO), PUBMED, LILACS, SCOPUS, and BDENF, through an advanced search with descriptors and Boolean operators arranged as follows: (Obesidade OR Obesity OR Obesidad) AND (Adolescente OR Adolescent) AND (Rede Social OR Social Networking OR Red Social). The research included 203 articles that underwent specific selection criteria, resulting in a final sample of 8 articles. The analysis of the results was carried out through thematic analysis proposed by Minayo, resulting in the theme "Influence of Social Networks on Obesity in Adolescents." The findings reinforce that the use of social networks (especially in excess) is intrinsically associated with the prevalence of obesity at different stages of life, especially in adolescence, which is a particularly vulnerable phase to such influences. The results provided information from diverse contexts and with different populations, demonstrating the reliability of the applied methods, as they yielded similar results even when conducted independently. It should be noted that most of the evaluated studies had a cross-sectional methodological design, indicating specific situations within their context, highlighting cultural differences and their influence on the theme. However, the sample was contemporary and spaced over time, allowing for the inference of continuity. It can be concluded that there is a correlation between the use of social media and the prevalence of obesity among adolescents, which can also be indirectly associated with mental health, as this phenomenon is observable in different scenarios.