Enter your email address
Submit
Write your message
Volume 24, Issue 148 (6-2025)
Journal of Psychological Science 2025, 24(148): 304-317 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Bahramabadi N, Yousefi A, Peyvandi P. (2025). Predicting Social Anxiety Based on Problematic Internet Use and Body Image in Overweight Students. Journal of Psychological Science. 24(148), 304-317. doi:10.61186/jps.24.148.17
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-2951-en.html
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-2951-en.html
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran. , ahmadyousefi7676@iau.ac.ir
Abstract: (34 Views)
Background: Social anxiety, a common challenge during adolescence, can be exacerbated by factors such as problematic internet use and negative body image, particularly in overweight students who may be more susceptible due to concerns about judgment or seeking online acceptance. Despite numerous studies investigating these variables separately, there is a significant research gap concerning the simultaneous and combined predictive role of problematic internet use and body image on social anxiety, specifically within the vulnerable population of overweight students.
Aims: The present study aimed to predict social anxiety based on problematic internet use and body image in overweight students.
Methods:This was an applied and descriptive correlational study. The statistical population comprised all second-grade high school students in districts 1 and 4 of Karaj city during the first semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, who were diagnosed as overweight based on their Body Mass Index (BMI). The study sample consisted of 320 such students selected through a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the Body Image Concern Questionnaire (Littleton et al., 2005), Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (Caplan, 2010), and Social Anxiety Scale (Connor, 2000). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression statistical methods via SPSS 22 software.
Results: The results indicated that the overall research model was significant, and the variables of problematic internet use and body image were able to explain 66.6% of the variance in social anxiety among overweight students (R²=0.666,Adjusted R²=0.664).More specifically, regression coefficients showed that both problematic internet use (β = 0.794, t=23.886, p<.001) and a more negative body image (β=0.311, t=9.351, p<.001) positively and significantly predicted social anxiety. Among these, problematic internet use had a greater predictive contribution to explaining social anxiety.
Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated that both problematic internet use and negative body image significantly contribute to predicting social anxiety in overweight students, collectively explaining a substantial portion of its variance.Given the greater predictive contribution of problematic internet use, as well as the importance of body image, these findings underscore the necessity of designing and implementing integrated psychological interventions that address both internet use patterns and body image improvement in this group of adolescents to help reduce their social anxiety.
Aims: The present study aimed to predict social anxiety based on problematic internet use and body image in overweight students.
Methods:This was an applied and descriptive correlational study. The statistical population comprised all second-grade high school students in districts 1 and 4 of Karaj city during the first semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, who were diagnosed as overweight based on their Body Mass Index (BMI). The study sample consisted of 320 such students selected through a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the Body Image Concern Questionnaire (Littleton et al., 2005), Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (Caplan, 2010), and Social Anxiety Scale (Connor, 2000). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression statistical methods via SPSS 22 software.
Results: The results indicated that the overall research model was significant, and the variables of problematic internet use and body image were able to explain 66.6% of the variance in social anxiety among overweight students (R²=0.666,Adjusted R²=0.664).More specifically, regression coefficients showed that both problematic internet use (β = 0.794, t=23.886, p<.001) and a more negative body image (β=0.311, t=9.351, p<.001) positively and significantly predicted social anxiety. Among these, problematic internet use had a greater predictive contribution to explaining social anxiety.
Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated that both problematic internet use and negative body image significantly contribute to predicting social anxiety in overweight students, collectively explaining a substantial portion of its variance.Given the greater predictive contribution of problematic internet use, as well as the importance of body image, these findings underscore the necessity of designing and implementing integrated psychological interventions that address both internet use patterns and body image improvement in this group of adolescents to help reduce their social anxiety.
Type of Study: Applicable |
Subject:
General
Received: 2025/04/6 | Accepted: 2025/06/5 | Published: 2025/06/22
Received: 2025/04/6 | Accepted: 2025/06/5 | Published: 2025/06/22
References
1. احمدپور، جمال؛ اصغری، سیده زهرا؛ سلطانیان، علیرضا؛ محمدی، یونس و پورالعجل، جلال (1397). بررسی روایی و پایایی ویرایش فارسی پرسشنامه استفاده آسیب زا از اینترنت. مجله تخصصی اپیدمولوژی ایران، 14(1)،62-53. URL: http://irje.tums.ac.ir/article-1-5964-fa.html
2. حسنوند عموزاده مهدی. هنجاریابی سیاهه فوبیای اجتماعی (SPIN) در نمونه غیربالینی ایرانی. مجله مطالعات علوم پزشکی. ۱۳۹۴; ۲۶ (۱) :۱۷-۳۰ URL: http://umj.umsu.ac.ir/article-1-2717-fa.html
3. محمدی، نورالله و سجادی نژاد، مرضیه السادات (1386). ارزیابی شاخص های روانسنجی پرسشنامه نگرانی درباره تصویر بدنی و آزمون مدل ارتباطی شاخص توده بدنی، نارضایتی از تصویر بدنی و حرمت خود در دختران نوجوان. فصلنامه مطالعات روانشاختی، 3(1)، 101-85. https://psychstudies.alzahra.ac.ir/article_1650.html
4. Ahmadpour J, Asghari S, Soltanian A, Mohammadi Y, Poorolajal J.(2018). Evaluation of Validity and Reliability of Persian Version of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) Questionnaire. irje; 14 (1) :53-62URL: http://irje.tums.ac.ir/article-1-5964-fa.html (In Persian)
5. Ai, L., Cui, Q., Tanimoto, C., & Ishii, K. (2025). Fear of appearance discrimination and its influence on well‐being across cultures. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 28(1), e12655. DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12655
6. Anisa, R., Dewi, Y. L. R., & Prasetya, H. (2022). Correlation between Overweight and Mental Health in Adolescents: A Meta Analysis. Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health, 7(4), 535-551. DOI: 10.26911/jepublichealth.2022.07.04.10
7. Bodega, P., de Cos-Gandoy, A., Fernández-Alvira, J. M., Fernández-Jiménez, R., Moreno, L. A., & Santos-Beneit, G. (2024). Body image and dietary habits in adolescents: a systematic review. Nutrition reviews, 82(1), 104-127. DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad044
8. Cai, Z., Mao, P., Wang, Z., Wang, D., He, J., & Fan, X. (2023). Associations between problematic internet use and mental health outcomes of students: a meta-analytic review. Adolescent research review, 8(1), 45-62. DOI: 10.1007/s40894-022-00201-9
9. Caplan, S. E. (2010). Theory and measurement of generalized problematic Internet use: A two-step approach. Computers in human behavior, 26(5), 1089-1097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.03.012
10. Connor, K. M., Davidson, J. R., Churchill, L. E., Sherwood, A., Weisler, R. H., & Foa, E. (2000). Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN): New self-rating scale. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 176(4), 379-386. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.176.4.379
11. Dehghani, A., Molani-Gol, R., Mohammadi-Narab, M., Norouzy, A., Abolhassani, M. H., Tabatabaee Jabali, S. M., ... & Mohammadi-Nasrabadi, F. (2024). The prevalence of obesity and overweight among Iranian population: an umbrella systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1-27. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20860-8
12. Dong, W., Tang, H., Wu, S., Lu, G., Shang, Y., & Chen, C. (2024). The effect of social anxiety on teenagers’ internet addiction: the mediating role of loneliness and coping styles. BMC psychiatry, 24(1), 395. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05854-5
13. Dou, Q., Chang, R., & Xu, H. (2023). Body dissatisfaction and social anxiety among adolescents: a moderated mediation model of feeling of inferiority, family cohesion and friendship quality. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 18(3), 1469-1489. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2031762/v1
14. Fernandez, C. J., George, A. S., Subrahmanyan, N. A., & Pappachan, J. M. (2021). Epidemiological link between obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cancer. World Journal of Methodology, 11(3), 23. DOI: 10.5662/wjm.v11.i3.23
15. Gioia, F., Rega, V., & Boursier, V. (2021). Problematic internet use and emotional dysregulation among young people: A literature review. Clinical neuropsychiatry, 18(1), 41. DOI: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20210104
16. Hair Jr, J. F., & Sarstedt, M. (2019). Factors versus composites: Guidelines for choosing the right structural equation modeling method. Project Management Journal, 50(6), 619-624. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972819882132
17. Hassanvand Amouzadeh, M. (2015). The standardization of social phobia inventory (spin) in nonclinical iranian samples. Studies in Medical Sciences, 26(1), 17-30.URL: http://umj.umsu.ac.ir/article-1-2717-fa.html
18. Khalaf, A. M., Alubied, A. A., Khalaf, A. M., Rifaey, A. A., Alubied, A., & Rifaey, A. (2023). The impact of social media on the mental health of adolescents and young adults: a systematic review. Cureus, 15(8).DOI: 10.7759/cureus.42990
19. Li, J., Tang, F., Yin, H., & Liu, S. (2025). The relationship between parental phubbing and social anxiety in emerging adulthood students: a serial mediation model. BMC psychology, 13(1), 413. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-025-02748-3
20. Littleton, H. L., Axsom, D. S., & Pury, C. L. (2005). Development of the body image concern inventory. Behavior Research and Therapy, 43,229-241.DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2003.12.006
21. Merino, M., Tornero-Aguilera, J. F., Rubio-Zarapuz, A., Villanueva-Tobaldo, C. V., Martín-Rodríguez, A., & Clemente-Suárez, V. J. (2024, July). Body perceptions and psychological well-being: a review of the impact of social media and physical measurements on self-esteem and mental health with a focus on body image satisfaction and its relationship with cultural and gender factors. In Healthcare (Vol. 12, No. 14, p. 1396). MDPI.DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12141396
22. Mesce, M., Cerniglia, L., & Cimino, S. (2022). Body image concerns: the impact of digital technologies and psychopathological risks in a normative sample of adolescents. Behavioral Sciences, 12(8), 255.DOI: 10.3390/bs12080255
23. Meshi, D., & Ellithorpe, M. E. (2021). Problematic social media use and social support received in real-life versus on social media: Associations with depression, anxiety and social isolation. Addictive Behaviors, 119, 106949. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106949
24. Mohammadi, N., & Sajadinejad, M. S. (2007). The Evaluation of psychometric properties of Body Image Concern Inventory and examination of a model about the relationship between body mass index, body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem in adolescent girls. Journal of psychological studies, 3(1), 85-101. https://psychstudies.alzahra.ac.ir/article_1650.html
25. O’Day, E. B., & Heimberg, R. G. (2021). Social media use, social anxiety, and loneliness: A systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 3, 100070. DOI: 10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100070
26. Parastouei, K., Salehi-Abargouei, A., Rahmati, F., Nadjarzadeh, A., & Mirzaei, M. (2024). Exploring the Interaction between Major Dietary Patterns and Overweight/Obesity Status in Relation to the Chance of Anxiety among Iranian Population: A YaHS-TAMYZ study. Journal of Nutrition and Food Security. 9(3): 496-507 doi:10.18502/jnfs.v9i3.16159
27. Ritz, N. L., Brocka, M., Butler, M. I., Cowan, C. S., Barrera-Bugueño, C., Turkington, C. J., ... & Cryan, J. F. (2024). Social anxiety disorder-associated gut microbiota increases social fear. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(1), e2308706120.DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308706120
28. Segal, Y., & Gunturu, S. (2024). Psychological issues associated with obesity. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK603747/
29. Shahani Shalmani, R., & Jafari, F. (2024). Study of the relationship between social anxiety of negative evaluation and negative body image with the tendency of cosmetic surgery in women. Health Science Monitor, 3(1), 11-18.DOI: 10.61186/hsm.3.1.11
30. Zhuang, H., Zhao, H., Liu, M., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., He, C., ... & Wang, B. (2025). Depression, anxiety, stress symptoms among overweight and obesity in medical students, with mediating effects of academic burnout and internet addiction. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1-13. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-01793-7
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License. |
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)