Impact of internet addiction and gaming disorder on body weight in children and adolescents: A systematic review

Aim: Internet use and gaming have increased in daily life. Internet addiction has not been recognised in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition or 11th Revision of International Classification of Diseases despite gaming addiction having been listed since 2013. Previous studies have shown an association between internet use and weight gain or disordered eating patterns in the general population, however none have addressed this association in a paediatric population. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between internet addiction or gaming addiction and weight in children and adolescents under 18 years of age. Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted, and articles were screened for relevance. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) 3 critical appraisal tool was used to assess quality of studies. Due to heterogeneity of the studies, a meta-analysis could not be performed, thus a narrative summary was performed with the results summarised and tabulated. Results: Of 8114 initial articles identified, we included 14 studies. The review produced inconsistent results, with three of the 14 studies demonstrating no statistically significant relationship between internet and/or gaming addiction and obesity. The remaining 11 studies showed a statistically significant positive association. One study demonstrated that those who are underweight as well as overweight and obese were more likely to have problematic internet use. Four articles demonstrated increased rates of poor nutritional habits, poor eating patterns and weight control behaviour in children and adolescents with internet addiction or gaming disorder. Another study showed no statistically significant association between internet addiction and disordered eating or eating disorder. Conclusion: Most of the available studies revealed increased rates of obesity in children and adolescents with internet addiction or gaming disorder, with poor patterns of eating. Clearer definitions and consistent use of terminology are required to enable more robust research in this field.