HEALTH DESK
Smartphone ownership at age 12 was associated with a higher prevalence of eating disorder symptoms at ages 12 and 14, including binge eating and weight-related concerns.
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open examined the association between smartphone ownership at age 12 and eating disorder (ED) symptoms during early adolescence using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.
The analysis included 8,957 adolescents, of whom nearly 70% owned a smartphone at age 12. ED symptoms were assessed at ages 12 and 14 based on adolescent reports of binge eating, compensatory behaviors, weight gain concerns, and self-worth related to weight.
At age 12, smartphone ownership was associated with higher rates of binge eating (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.61), tying self-worth to weight (PR, 2.21), and any ED symptom (PR, 1.36) after adjustment for sociodemographic and other relevant factors. The association between smartphone ownership and weight gain concerns differed by sex.
Longitudinally, smartphone ownership at age 12 was associated with a higher risk of binge eating (risk ratio [RR], 1.67), inappropriate compensatory behaviors (RR, 1.50), tying self-worth to weight (RR, 2.03), and any ED symptom (RR, 1.49) at age 14.
The findings suggest that early smartphone ownership may be associated with eating disorder symptoms during adolescence. However, the observational design does not establish causality, and the study could not account for all potential confounding factors or differences in how smartphones were used. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying these associations.
Source: Nagata, J.M. et al. Smartphone Ownership and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Early Adolescence. JAMA Network Open. 2026.