The Relationship Between Social Media Use, Food Craving and Ultra-Processed Food Consumption in University Students

What this Trial Is About

Social media plays a significant role in daily life and can influence dietary habits, especially through the frequent sharing of ultra-processed food content and advertisements. These foods, which are high in sugar, fat, salt, and additives but low in nutritional value, can trigger cravings and addictive consumption cycles by affecting the brain's reward system. University students, who are young and use social media intensively, are particularly vulnerable to these influences, making it important to study the relationship between social media use, food craving, and ultra-processed food consumption to promote healthier eating habits. This observational study will be conducted online using a questionnaire distributed to Atılım University students. The questionnaire has several parts: demographic and body measurements; details on social media use including exposure to nutrient content; the Food Craving Questionnaire Short Form (FCQT-R) which measures desire to eat on a 6-point scale; and a short screening questionnaire assessing ultra-processed food consumption with yes/no answers. Data collection is planned between April and June 2025 with at least 150 participants. Participants will answer questions about their demographics, social media habits, food cravings, and consumption of ultra-processed foods anonymously without providing personal identifiers. Researchers will analyze correlations between social media use and both food craving and ultra-processed food consumption over about one month. The study aims to understand how social media exposure may increase unconscious eating behaviors and unhealthy eating patterns, helping guide future nutritional awareness and healthy eating strategies.

Social Media Use, Food Craving and Ultra Processed Food Consumption in Students