Problematic usage of the internet and eating disorder and related psychopathology: A multifaceted, systematic review and meta-analysis.

Konstantinos Ioannidis, Charlotte Taylor, Leah Holt, Kate Brown, Christine Lochner, Naomi A Fineberg, Ornella Corazza, Samuel R Chamberlain, Andres Roman-Urrestarazu, Katarzyna Czabanowska

Journal: Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews 2021;125():569-581

PMID: 33713700

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Abstract

Eating disorders are widespread illnesses with significant impact. There is growing concern about how those at risk of eating disorders overuse online resources to their detriment. We conducted a pre-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining Problematic Usage of the Internet (PUI) and eating disorder and related psychopathology. The meta-analysis comprised n = 32,295 participants, in which PUI was correlated with significant eating disorder general psychopathology Pearson r = 0.22 (s.e. = 0.04, p < 0.001), body dissatisfaction r = 0.16 (s.e. = 0.02, p < 0.001), drive-for-thinness r = 0.16 (s.e. = 0.04, p < 0.001) and dietary restraint r = 0.18 (s.e. = 0.03). Effects were not moderated by gender, PUI facet or study quality. Results are in support of PUI impacting on eating disorder symptoms; males may be equally vulnerable to these potential effects. Prospective and experimental studies in the field suggest that small but significant effects exist and may have accumulative influence over time and across all age groups. Those findings are important to expand our understanding of PUI as a multifaceted concept and its impact on multiple levels of ascertainment of eating disorder and related psychopathology.

Address: Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK; Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK; Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].; Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK.; North East London Foundation Trust, London, UK.; SU/UCT MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.; University of Hertfordshire and Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Hatfield, UK.; Department of Clinical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, UK; Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.; Department of Psychiatry, University of Southampton, UK; Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.; Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK; Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK; Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.; Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.005