ArticleThe International journal of eating disorders2022
Digital technology use and muscle-building behaviors in young adults.
Article in The International journal of eating disorders, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Technology-Supported Physical Activity and Its Potential as a Tool to Promote Young Women's Physical Activity and Physical Literacy: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Creating Safer Injecting Practices Through Community-Led Harm Reduction: Lessons From People Who Use Steroids for the Alcohol and Other Drug Sector.Drug and alcohol review · 2025Article
- Article
- Emerging Adults Report Internal, External, and Social/Environmental Motivations for Weight-Related Self-Monitoring Application Use.Journal of nutrition education and behavior · 2025Article
- Cognitive restraint and body dissatisfaction are more strongly related to muscle building behaviors for men than women.Eating behaviors · 2025Article
- Contemporary screen use and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia among a national sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults.Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2023Article
- Characterizing cheat meals among a national sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults.Journal of eating disorders · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveDigital technology use and muscle-building behaviors reflect a wide range of behaviors with associated health risks. However, links between digital technology use and muscle-building behaviors remain unknown and this study aimed to address this gap.
methodData were collected from a diverse sample of 1,483 young adults (mean age 22.2 ± 2.0 years) participating in the population-based Eating and Activity over Time 2018 study. Gender-stratified-modified Poisson regression models were used to determine cross-sectional associations between three types of digital technology use (screen time, social media, weight-related self-monitoring apps) and five types of muscle-building behaviors (changing eating, exercise, protein powders/shakes, pre-workout drinks, steroids/growth hormone/creatine/amino acids) in young adulthood, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and body mass index.
resultsScreen time and social media were either not found to be associated with muscle-building behaviors or in a few instances, associated with less use of these behaviors (e.g., screen time and pre-workout drinks in men). In contrast, the use of weight-related self-monitoring apps was positively associated with all muscle-building behaviors, including steroids/growth hormone/creatine/amino acids in men (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-2.97) and women (PR = 4.43; 95% CI: 1.68-11.68). DISCUSSION: While most recreational screen time may represent sedentary behaviors not related to muscle-building behaviors, weight-related self-monitoring apps are highly associated with more muscle-building behaviors and could be a future target for interventions to discourage the use of steroids and other harmful muscle-building substances.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.