Digital Food Marketing on Social Networking Sites: Exposure, Engagement, and association with Overweight/Obesity among Medical Students in An Egyptian University

Abstract

Background: Digital food marketing on social networking sites (SNS) can significantly impact young people’s food choices and increase consumption of unhealthy foods, snacking, and disordered eating behaviors. Objective: To describe the SNS use patterns, exposure to, and engagement with SNS food marketing among medical students. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a convenience sample of 706 medical students. An online survey was used to collect sociodemographic data, type, and frequency of SNS use. Results: Participants were mostly females (57.93%), with a mean age of 20.77±1.98 years. Approximately 43.2% of the participants were overweight or obese. Out of 706 participants, 157 (22.2%) reported daily exposure to any SNS food marketing, and 190 (26.9%) fell in the high engagement category. Daily exposure to food marketing was significantly associated with daily SNS use for two hours or more (p=0.006). Earlier age of onset of SNS use, number of SNS accounts, and two hours or more of daily SNS use were associated with higher engagement (p<0.001). Binary logistic regression showed no significant association between overweight/obesity-adjusted for age, gender, and physical activity-and daily exposure or high engagement with digital food marketing. Conclusions: Students with intense SNS use showed higher levels of exposure to and engagement with SNS food marketing. Daily exposure and high engagement were not independent predictors of overweight or obesity. There is a need to explore other factors that may be implicated in the association between SNS food marketing and overweight/obesity apart from the mere dose of exposure and engagement.