Schnall, RebeccaPorras, TiffanyMusanti, RitaAdams Tufts, KimberlySefcik, ElizabethHamilton, Mary JaneDawson-Rose, CarolPortillo, CarmenPhilips, J. CraigChaiphibalsarisdi, PuangtipOrton, PenelopePerazzo, JosephWebel, Allison R.2025-04-172025-04-172021-4-3Schnall, R. et al. 2021. Social media use as a predictor of higher body mass index in persons living with HIV. AIDS Care, 33(4): 434-440. doi:10.1080/09540121.2020.17192790954-01211360-0451 (Online)isidoc: QT0IVpubmed: 32005080https://hdl.handle.net/10321/5877Social media tools have been touted as an approach to bring more democratic communication to health care. We conducted a multi-site cross-sectional study among persons living with HIV (PLWH) to desrcibe technology use among PLWH in the US and the association between social media use and body-mass index (BMI). Our primary predictor variable was social media use. Our primary outcome was BMI measured through height and weight. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic profiles of the study participants and linear regression models were used to analyze associations between the outcome and predictor variables controlling for demographic characteristics. Study participants (<i>N</i> = 606) across 6 study sites in the United States were predominately 50-74 years old (67%). Thirty-three percent of study participants had a normal weight (BMI 18.5-25), 33% were overweight (BMI 25-30), and 32% were obese (BMI > 30). Participants used several social media sites with Facebook (45.6%) predominating. Social media use was associated with higher BMI in study participants (<i>p </i>< .001) and this effect persisted, although not as strongly, when limiting the analysis to those who only those who used Facebook (<i>p </i>= .03). Further consideration of social factors that can be ameliorated to improve health outcomes is timely and needed.14 pPrint-ElectronicenAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Social media1117 Public Health and Health Services1701 Psychology4206 Public health4410 Sociology5203 Clinical and health psychologyTechnologyBody mass indexHumansHIV InfectionsBody WeightBody Mass IndexCross-Sectional StudiesAdultAgedMiddle AgedUnited StatesFemaleMaleOverweightSocial MediaSedentary BehaviorAdultAgedBody Mass IndexBody WeightCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHIV InfectionsHumansMaleMiddle AgedOverweightSedentary BehaviorSocial MediaUnited StatesArticle2025-04-0110.1080/09540121.2020.1719279