scholarly journals The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Eating, Body Image, and Social Media Habits Among Women With and Without Symptoms of Orthorexia Nervosa

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keisha C. Gobin ◽  
Jennifer S. Mills ◽  
Sarah E. McComb
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Orthorexia Nervosa ◽  
Laxative Use ◽  
Media Habits

The COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting people’s mental health worldwide. The current study examined the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on adult women’s eating, body image, and social media habits. Furthermore, we compared individuals with and without signs of orthorexia nervosa, a proposed eating disorder. Participants were 143 women, aged 17–73 years (M = 25.85, SD = 8.12), recruited during a COVID-19 lockdown in Canada from May-June 2020. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on their eating, body image, and social media habits during the pandemic. The Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ) assessed symptoms of orthorexia nervosa. Compared to the period prior to lockdown, women with higher total orthorexia nervosa scores reported eating a lot more than usual, feeling greater pressure to diet and lose weight, thinking about food more often than usual, experiencing greater weight gain, and perceiving more pressure from social media specifically to lose weight and to exercise, compared to their healthy counterparts. We examined associations between individual EHQ subscales and perceived changes to eating and weight. Women who scored high on EHQ-Problems reported seeing more weight loss content on their social media than those who reported fewer orthorexia nervosa symptoms. Conversely, those who scored low on EHQ-Feelings reported feeling a lot less pressure to lose weight, somewhat less or a lot less pressure to lose weight or to exercise from social media specifically, and trended toward less laxative use during lockdown, compared to those who scored higher on orthorexia nervosa. And those who scored low on EHQ-Knowledge reported feeling somewhat less or a lot less pressure to lose weight than those who reported more orthorexia nervosa symptoms. Together, the findings suggest that women with symptoms of orthorexia nervosa are experiencing an exacerbation of disordered eating thoughts and behaviors during COVID-19, and that social media may be a contributing factor.

scholarly journals Association between Perceived Trusted of COVID-19 Information Sources and Mental Health during the Early Stage of the Pandemic in Bangladesh

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mainuddin Patwary ◽  
Mondira Bardhan ◽  
Matthew H. E. M. Browning ◽  
Asma Safia Disha ◽  
Md. Zahidul Haque ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Traditional Media ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Perceived Trust

Unverified information concerning COVID-19 can affect mental health. Understanding perceived trust in information sources and associated mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital to ensure ongoing media coverage of the crisis does not exacerbate mental health impacts. A number of studies have been conducted in other parts of the world to determine associations between information exposure relating to COVID-19 and mental health. However, the mechanism by which trust in information sources may affect mental health is not fully explained in the developing country context. To address this issue, the present study examined associations between perceived trust in three sources of information concerning COVID-19 and anxiety/stress with the mediating effects of COVID-19 stress in Bangladesh. An online cross-sectional study was conducted with 744 Bangladeshi adults between 17 April and 1 May 2020. Perceived trust in traditional, social, and health media for COVID-19 information, demographics, frontline service status, COVID-19-related stressors, anxiety (GAD-7), and stress (PSS-4) were assessed via self-report. Linear regression tested for associations between perceived trust and mental health. Mediation analyses investigated whether COVID-19-related stressors affected perceived trust and mental health associations. In fully adjusted models, more trust in social media was associated with more anxiety (B = 0.03, CI = 0.27–0.97) and stress (B = 0.01, CI = −0.34–0.47), while more trust in traditional media was associated with more anxiety (B = 0.09, CI = 0.17–2.26) but less stress (B = −0.08, CI = −0.89–0.03). Mediation analyses showed that COVID-19-related stressors partially explained associations between perceived trust and anxiety. These findings suggest that trusting social media to provide accurate COVID-19 information may exacerbate poor mental health. These findings also indicate that trusting traditional media (i.e., television, radio, and the newspaper) may have stress-buffering effects. We recommend that responsible authorities call attention to concerns about the trustworthiness of social media as well as broadcast positive and authentic news in traditional media outcomes based on these results.

scholarly journals Drunkorexia: empirical investigation and analysis of the characteristics of the phenomenon in an Italian sample of adolescents and young adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giada Pietrabissa ◽  
Alessandro Rossi ◽  
Michela Gaudenzi ◽  
Venessa Bertuzzi ◽  
Andrea Tagliagambe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Weight Control ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Drinking Problems ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Italian Sample

Introduction: the term drunkorexia refers to the act of self-imposed utilization of extreme weight control methods to compensate for alcohol consumption typically observed among university students. Despite its diffusion, there is a lack of research investigating the presence of this new alarming trend in Italy. Aim: this study estimates the frequency of drunkorexia behaviours in a sample of Italian youth aged 14-24, explores the motivations for alcohol consumption among those presenting drunkorexia-type behaviours, and examines the relationship between drunkorexia and disordered eating. Methods: drunkorexia behaviors, eating habits and motives for alcohol use were investigated in 403 subjects (F=301, M=102) aged 14-24 through self-report questionnaires. A series of analyses, including descriptive statistics, univariate analysis of the variance and multiple regressions were run. Results: 62.5% of the sample showed drunkorexia-type behaviours. Drunkorexia was related to disordered eating, especially among females older than eighteen. Discussion and Conclusions: this the first study investigating the incidence of drunkorexia behaviors in a sample of youth living in Northern Italy. Evidence-based interventions for eating disorders and drinking problems should inspire the development of ad hoc preventive and treatment actions for drunkorexia. 

scholarly journals Safety of 8-h time restricted feeding in adults with obesity

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Gabel ◽  
Kristin K. Hoddy ◽  
Krista A. Varady
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Blood Count ◽  
Complete Blood Count ◽  
Eating Patterns ◽  
Restricted Feeding ◽  
Image Perception ◽  
Obese Adults ◽  
Disordered Eating Patterns

This study examines the safety of time restricted feeding (TRF; 8-h feeding window/16-h fasting window daily) in obese adults. Twenty-three subjects participated in an 8-h TRF intervention for 12 weeks. Self-reported adverse events, body image perception, complete blood count, and disordered eating patterns did not change from baseline to week 12. These findings suggest that consuming food within an 8-h window can safely facilitate weight loss in subjects with obesity.

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

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aparicio-Martinez ◽  
Perea-Moreno ◽  
Martinez-Jimenez ◽  
Redel-Macías ◽  
Pagliari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Eating Attitudes ◽  
Prenatal Testosterone ◽  
Beauty Ideals ◽  
Body Concerns ◽  
Eat 26 ◽  
Disordered Eating Attitudes

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.

Weight-Related Concerns as Barriers to Exclusive Breastfeeding at 6 Months

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Zimmerman ◽  
Rachel F. Rodgers ◽  
Jennifer O’Flynn ◽  
Althea Bourdeau
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Infant Nutrition ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Prepregnancy Bmi ◽  
Child Weight ◽  
Eating Concerns

Background: Human milk is considered the gold standard for infant nutrition, but more data are needed that examine the constellation of weight-related concerns as barriers to exclusive breastfeeding. Research aims: The aim of this study was to examine how mothers’ concerns regarding their own and their infants’ weight, as well as disordered eating behaviors, were associated with breastfeeding self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. Methods: A prospective, quantitative, and self-report online survey design was used. Participants included 206 women (88.30% White, 59.20% with graduate degrees), with a mean age of 33.04 years ( SD = 4.31 years) and a mean prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) of 24.80 kg/m2 ( SD = 5.50 kg/m2), who had given birth within the past 6 months. Results: Participants who reported not exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months had significantly higher prepregnancy BMI ( p < .001), higher body dissatisfaction ( p = .003), more disordered eating ( p = .036), higher child weight concerns ( p < .001), and lower breastfeeding self-efficacy ( p < .001). Mediation modeling revealed a direct negative relationship between prepregnancy BMI and exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months ( p < .001). Indirect negative relationships between prepregnancy BMI and exclusive breastfeeding at six months via (a) body dissatisfaction, (b) disordered eating, and (c) child weight concern, as well as breastfeeding self-efficacy (entered as concurrent mediators), were all significant. Conclusions: Mothers’ weight, body image and eating concerns, concern regarding their children’s weight, and breastfeeding self-efficacy may constitute critical barriers to exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. Interventions to improve breastfeeding duration and confidence should target maternal body image and eating concerns.

scholarly journals The psychological burden experienced by Chinese citizens during the COVID-19 outbreak: prevalence and determinants

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengjia Ren ◽  
Yuchu Zhou ◽  
Yanhong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Media Exposure ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Burden ◽  
Item Scale

Abstract Background The present study is aims to investigate the prevalence and determinants of depression and anxiety among the general population in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China. Methods A cross-sectional self-report survey methodology was used to gather the following data from Chinese citizens: sociodemographic information, physical and mental health disorder history, daily online time, social media exposure, feeling toward social media exposure, perception of the disease, infection cases in the local area, and previous experiences with stressful life incidents. Levels of anxiety and depression were self-reported employing the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item scale, respectively. Results Among the 6130 participants, the prevalence of anxiety and depression was 7.1 and 12%, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that psychological disturbances were associated with gender, people with religious background, being a medical professional, having physical or mental health disease, difficulty accessing medical aids, experience with traumatic incidents, the perceived possibility of sequelae after being cured of COVID-19, daily online time, the source of the information relevant to COVID-19, frequency of receiving information regarding COVID-19, and negative feelings triggered by social media. Conclusions There needs to be a consistent message from authorities to reduce the panic and confusion of the public, and to decrease public exposure to persistently negative information. It is necessary to help people transform their negative experiences into positive changes especially for individuals with physical illness, individuals with mental health disorders, and medical professionals.

scholarly journals The Perfect Storm: A Developmental–Sociocultural Framework for the Role of Social Media in Adolescent Girls’ Body Image Concerns and Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia Choukas-Bradley ◽  
Savannah Roberts ◽  
Anne J. Maheux ◽  
Jacqueline Nesi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Physical Appearance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Body Image Concerns ◽  
Perfect Storm

In this theoretical review paper, we provide a developmental–sociocultural framework for the role of social media (SM) in contributing to adolescent girls’ body image concerns, and in turn, depressive symptoms and disordered eating. We propose that the features of SM (e.g., idealized images of peers, quantifiable feedback) intersect with adolescent developmental factors (e.g., salience of peer relationships) and sociocultural gender socialization processes (e.g., societal over-emphasis on girls’ and women’s physical appearance) to create the “perfect storm” for exacerbating girls’ body image concerns. We argue that, ultimately, body image concerns may be a key mechanism underlying associations between adolescent girls’ SM use and mental health. In the context of proposing this framework, we provide empirical evidence for how SM may increase adolescent girls’ body image concerns through heightening their focus on: (1) other people’s physical appearance (e.g., through exposure to idealized images of peers, celebrities, and SM influencers; quantifiable indicators of approval); and (2) their own appearance (e.g., through appearance-related SM consciousness; exposure to one’s own image; encouraging over-valuing of appearance; and peer approval of photos/videos). Our framework highlights new avenues for future research on adolescent girls’ SM use and mental health, which recognize the central role of body image.

scholarly journals Prevalence and characteristics of disordered eating adolescents in cyprus: The influence of body image, situational dysphoria, self-esteem, and the media

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marios Argyrides ◽  
Evagelia Alexiou
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Normal Body Mass Index ◽  
Disordered Eating Behaviors ◽  
The Media ◽  
Eat 26

The purpose of the current study was threefold: a) to collect a very large representative sample of adolescents and assess for their levels of disordered eating behaviors; b) to describe the characteristics of adolescents with disordered eating behaviors in Cyprus based on the measures that were used in the study and c) to compare the adolescents with significant disordered eating behaviors (EAT-26 ≥ 20) to the ones without any disordered eating behaviors (EAT < 20) on all the variables of interest. A total of 2664 secondary school students responded to self-report measures assessing disordered eating, negative body image, situational dysphoria, self-esteem and media influences. Results indicated that 16.04% of the overall sample of adolescents scored significantly on the EAT-26 (21.4% of females and 8.4% of males). Results also indicated that the majority of the adolescents with disordered eating behaviors were female, mainly from average socioeconomic status, normal Body Mass Index and grew up and reside in an urban area. Finally, adolescents in the disordered eating behaviors group scored significantly lower on appearance satisfaction and self-esteem and significantly higher on appearance investment, weight-related anxiety, situational dysphoria, internalization of the thin and athletic ideals as well as feeling pressured from the media and considering the media as a good source of information. In conclusion, results indicate a substantial difference in levels of disordered eating in adolescents as compared to previous research in Cyprus. Possible explanations are addressed as well as implications for prevention strategies and future research ideas based on the findings.

scholarly journals A Conceptual Framework Exploring Social Media, Eating Disorders, and Body Dissatisfaction Among Latina Adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-377
Author(s):  
Ijeoma Opara ◽  
Noemy Santos
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Objectification Theory ◽  
Culturally Specific ◽  
Latina Adolescents ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Intersectionality Theory

The purpose of this review is to propose a conceptual framework using objectification theory and intersectionality theory to examine social media’s influence on body image and its effect on eating disorder predictors among Latina adolescents. To examine and explore how these effects from social media usage can result in mental health disparities that affect this group, emphasis was placed on how Latina ethnic identity mediates body image. Implications for clinicians and researchers include using strengths-based and culturally specific approaches as protective factors for Latina adolescents to strengthen ethnic identity.

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