The Role of Social Media Advertisements and Physical Activity on Eating Behaviors among University Students in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Overweight, obesity and its related non-communicable diseases have become a major challenge and are partly attributed to unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity, especially in Pakistan. With the advent of digital technologies, like social media, in recent decades, active lifestyle and healthy eating habits have taken a hit, especially in Pakistan. The present study sought to evaluate the influence of social media food advertisement and physical activity on eating habits among university students in Pakistan. A cross sectional study was conducted with 471 adult social media users of Pakistan utilizing a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included following information: (i) Demographic information, (ii) Social media usage, (iii) Dietary habits, and (iv) Experience of digital food advertisements. The core result of the study labelled as ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’ eating habits was assessed using the following question: “How do you rate your overall diet?” Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the determinants associated with poor dietary patterns. The study revealed that 86% participants had unhealthy eating habits and only 14% showed healthy eating habits. The logistic regression showed that participants having sedentary lifestyle were significantly more prone to have poor dietary patterns (Adjusted Odds Ratio AOR = 2.024). Moreover, participants who preferred home-cooked meals (AOR = 7.03), delivery applications (AOR = 8.79), or eating in restaurants (AOR = 10.20) were more prone to engage in unhealthy eating compared to those choosing meal subscriptions. Furthermore, participants who did not eat outside in the previous month (AOR = 0.15) or ate outside 1–3 times in the last month (AOR = 0.44) were less likely to adopt calorie-dense dietary choices. The findings highlight that frequent interaction with food advertisements and sedentary lifestyle are significant determinants of unhealthy eating behaviors among adults in Pakistan. Keywords: Eating behaviors; food advertisements; physical activity; social media advertisement .