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. 2019 Oct 29;16(21):4177.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph16214177.

Social Media, Thin-Ideal, Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating Attitudes: An Exploratory Analysis

Pilar Aparicio-Martinez  1   2   3 , Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno  4 , María Pilar Martinez-Jimenez  5 , María Dolores Redel-Macías  6 , Claudia Pagliari  7 , Manuel Vaquero-Abellan  8
Affiliations

Social Media, Thin-Ideal, Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating Attitudes: An Exploratory Analysis

Pilar Aparicio-Martinez et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Disordered eating attitudes are rapidly increasing, especially among young women in their twenties. These disordered behaviours result from the interaction of several factors, including beauty ideals. A significant factor is social media, by which the unrealistic beauty ideals are popularized and may lead to these behaviours. The objectives of this study were, first, to determine the relationship between disordered eating behaviours among female university students and sociocultural factors, such as the use of social network sites, beauty ideals, body satisfaction, body image and the body image desired to achieve and, second, to determine whether there is a sensitive relationship between disordered eating attitudes, addiction to social networks, and testosterone levels as a biological factor. The data (N = 168) was obtained using validated surveys (EAT-26, BSQ, CIPE-a, SNSA) and indirect measures of prenatal testosterone. The data was analysed using chi-square, Student's t-test, correlation tests and logistic regression tests. The results showed that disordered eating attitudes were linked to self-esteem (p < 0.001), body image (p < 0.001), body desired to achieve (p < 0.001), the use of social media (p < 0.001) and prenatal testosterone (p < 0.01). The findings presented in this study suggest a relationship between body image, body concerns, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating attitudes among college women.

Keywords: body image; disordered eating behaviours; female; social media; university students..

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of the recruitment and selection of the sample.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Results from the EAT-26 related to body satisfaction.
Figure 3
Figure 3
ROC curve from the logistic model for disordered eating.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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