Association between mental distress and weight-related self-stigma via problematic social media and smartphone use among Malaysian university students: an application of the interaction of person-affect-cognition-execution (I-PACE) model

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Gan, WY, Chin, W-L, Huang, S-W, Tung, SEH, Lee, LJ, Poon, WC, Siaw, YL, O’Brien, KS, Pramukti, I, Ruckwongpatr, K, Chen, J-S, Griffiths, MD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8880-6524 and Lin, C-Y, 2025. Association between mental distress and weight-related self-stigma via problematic social media and smartphone use among Malaysian university students: an application of the interaction of person-affect-cognition-execution (I-PACE) model. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 27 (3), pp. 319-331. ISSN 1462-3730

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.060049

Abstract

Background: Weight-related self-stigma (WRSS) is prevalent among individuals with different types of weight status and is associated with a range of negative health outcomes. Social support and coping models explain how individuals may use different coping methods to deal with their mental health needs. Psychological distress (e.g., depression and stress) could lead to overuse of social media and smartphones. When using social media or smartphones, individuals are likely to be exposed to negative comments regarding weight/shape/size posted on the social media. Consequently, individuals who experience problematic social media use (PSMU) or problematic smartphone use (PSPU) may develop WRSS. Therefore, the present study examined the roles of PSMU and PSPU as mediators in the relationship between psychological distress and WRSS. Methods: Using convenience sampling via an online survey, 622 participants with a mean age of 23.70 years (SD = 4.33) completed questions assessing sociodemographic variables, psychological distress, PSMU, PSPU, WRSS, and self-reported weight and height. Results: The hierarchical regression models showed that sex (β = 0.08, p = 0.01), BMI (β = 0.39, p < 0.001), depression (β = 0.21, p = 0.001), stress (β = 0.18, p = 0.01), PSMU (β = 0.09, p = 0.045), and PSPU (β = 0.14, p = 0.001) were significant factors for WRSS. Conclusion: The mediation models showed that both PSMU and PSPU were significant mediators in the relationships between depression and stress with WRSS. The present findings provide some evidence for understanding WRSS and has important implications for developing interventions to reduce its negative impact on individuals’ health and well-being.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	International Journal of Mental Health Promotion
Creators:	Gan, W.Y., Chin, W.-L., Huang, S.-W., Tung, S.E.H., Lee, L.J., Poon, W.C., Siaw, Y.L., O’Brien, K.S., Pramukti, I., Ruckwongpatr, K., Chen, J.-S., Griffiths, M.D. and Lin, C.-Y.
Publisher:	Tech Science Press
Date:	31 March 2025
Volume:	27
Number:	3
ISSN:	1462-3730
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.32604/ijmhp.2025.060049 DOI 2406053 Other
Rights:	Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Tech Science Press. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Melissa Cornwell
Date Added:	14 Mar 2025 14:25
Last Modified:	02 Apr 2025 13:41
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/53245