The effect of the programme based on Roy adaptation model on social media addiction, healthy lifestyle and self‐esteem of nursing students.

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the Roy adaptation model‐based strengthening program (RAMBSP) applied to nursing students on social media addiction, healthy lifestyle behaviours and self‐esteem. Methods: One hundred five nursing students studying at a nursing faculty of a university were included in this prospective, two‐armed (1:1), randomized controlled study. The study group (n:54) had 12 weeks of RAMBSP online group sessions. No intervention was made to the control group (n:51). The social media addiction level, which was the primary outcome of the study, was evaluated with the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and healthy lifestyle behaviours and self‐esteem, which were secondary outcomes, were evaluated with the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours Scale II (HLBS‐II) and the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Inventory (REI). Students filled out BSMAS, HLBS‐II, and REI online via Google Forms before and after RAMBSP. Findings: At the end of the programme, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of BSMAS scores of the students in the study group (p > 0.05); however, the difference was significant in terms of HLBS‐II and REI scores (p < 0.05). It was determined that the empowerment programme increased students' awareness of social media addiction. Conclusion: It is recommended to implement programmes that will increase students' awareness of social media addiction and its effects and to conduct new research that will cover large and different sample groups. Trial registration: It was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov in March 2021 (NCT04820517). Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? With the development of technology, social media addiction is widely seen in nursing students, who are a fragile group.Biopsychosocial approaches should be presented together in practices aimed at reducing or controlling the use of social media.It is not known whether an empowerment programme based on the nursing model (Roy adaptation model) to reduce social media addiction in nursing students is effective. What this paper adds? This programme constitutes an example of how to combine Roy adaptation model, one of the nursing models related to reducing social media addiction and providing controlled social media use, with the empowerment programme.The strengthening programme based on Roy adaptation model helped student nurses to acquire and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviours by increasing their awareness of social media addiction and improving their self‐esteem. The implications of this paper Roy adaptation model‐based psychoeducation should be conducted to enable nursing students to gain awareness of social media addiction and its consequences.Roy adaptation model‐based activities should be planned and implemented to intervene in students with social media addiction and to lead them to healthy social media use.Course contents should be added to the nursing curriculum to encourage the use of social media in a way that is effective, safe and contributes to personal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]