ABSTRACT
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of cell phones increased due to the confinement that implied more time at home and carrying out virtual activities, this modified some behaviors, among which eating behavior stands out. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between cell phone use patterns and their use during eating episodes. An online survey created on the Google forms platform was sent via email, which was based on the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS) and was answered anonymously. Regarding the use of cell phones during meals, 33.1 per cent of the total participants presented this behavior always or almost always and 30.7 per cent sometimes. Problematic cell phone use was higher in the group that was in confinement (5.6 vs 1.8 per cent), being more pronounced in women (p = 0.011). In the group of occasional cell phone users, 2.2 por ciento used it during meals and in the group with problematic use, 80.8 per cent (p < 0.000). People from 29 to 59 years old were the ones who most reported using it at all times of food (65.1 per cent) followed by young people (34.9 per cent). © 2023, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico. All rights reserved.