The importance of campaign saliency as a predictor of attitude and behavior change: A pilot evaluation of social marketing campaign Fat Talk Free Week

Engagement with body image health promotion videos in adult men and women: differences between narrative, informational, and persuasive appeal approaches

BACKGROUND

Body dissatisfaction is a public health issue, however, low awareness of its seriousness, and stigma, may inhibit treatment seeking. The current study evaluated engagement with videos promoting awareness of body dissatisfaction using a persuasive communication approach.

METHOD

Men (n = 283) and women (n = 290) were randomly allocated to view one of five videos; (1) Narrative, (2) Narrative plus persuasive appeal, (3) Informational, (4) Informational plus persuasive appeal and (5) Persuasive appeal only. Engagement (relevance, interest, and compassion) was examined post-viewing.

RESULTS

Among both men and women, superior engagement ratings (in compassion for women, and relevance and compassion for men) were demonstrated for the persuasive appeal and informational videos relative to narrative approaches.

CONCLUSION

Videos using clear and factual approaches may promote engagement in body image health promotion videos. Further work should be done to examine interest in such videos specific to men.

"IAmSizeSexy": A health communication body image study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to formatively evaluate a health communication campaign on body image targeting undergraduate female students.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 331 students at a large public Midwestern university participated in the study.

METHODS

Researchers used central intercept procedures to recruit students from residence halls. After viewing the campaign materials, students completed an online survey assessing their message endorsement and level of eating disorder symptomology and provided open-ended comments.

RESULTS

Students appreciated the message and thought it was effective, though students with greater body image concerns were less receptive to the message. Thematic analysis indicated students perceive body image to be a relevant issue, yet they want the university to provide more attention to, and information on, the topic.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, students understood the message and found it helpful. Nevertheless, students with body image issues responded less favorably, warranting the need for secondary and tertiary prevention.

Impact of viewing body image health promotion videos in adult men and women: Comparison of narrative and informational approaches

Body dissatisfaction is a serious public health issue, however, low awareness of its seriousness, and stigma, may inhibit treatment seeking. Social marketing videos using narrative-entertainment or documentary-informational style approaches may enhance awareness but little research has evaluated their impact, particularly potentially harmful effects. The current study addressed this gap. Men (n = 226) and women (n = 229), were randomly allocated to view one of four videos; (1) Narrative, (2) Narrative plus persuasive appeal, (3) Informational, and (4) Informational plus persuasive appeal. Outcome variables were assessed before and after viewing. A time-by-video interaction indicated an increase in perception of the importance of body dissatisfaction as a public health problem following informational, but not narrative videos. Time by gender interactions showed that women, but not men, experienced increased body weight satisfaction and reduced intentions to engage in body-talk after video viewing. Time main effects revealed improvements in perceptions of the problematic nature of body dissatisfaction related behaviours, in shape and muscularity satisfaction, and reduced anxiety and intentions to use body-talk and appearance comparison. Findings suggest that social marketing can increase awareness of body dissatisfaction without inadvertently causing harm. Results from this study provide preliminary support for dissemination through social marketing.

Hearing vs. engaging in negative body talk: an examination of adult men

This study examined the negative body talk both engaged in and heard by adult men as separate constructs and how both constructs are related to men's body dissatisfaction and muscle dysmorphia. Data were collected from 260 adult men on negative body talk both engaged in and heard, body fat dissatisfaction, muscle dissatisfaction, and muscle dysmorphia. Results indicated that the muscle talk that men engaged in acted as a mediator between the relationship between the body talk men heard and muscle dissatisfaction. The same mediating relationship also existing for muscle dysmorphia symptoms. Similarly, the fat talk that men engaged in mediated the relationship between the fat talk that men heard from friends and body fat dissatisfaction. In addition, age was negatively related to muscle talk and body mass index was positively correlated with fat talk. These findings suggest that the relationship between the body talk that men hear from others and their body image may be explained by the body talk that men verbally engage in themselves.

The role of fat talk in eating pathology and depressive symptoms among mother-daughter dyads

The present study investigated how eating pathology and depressive symptoms were related to the dyadic dynamics of fat talk in mother-daughter relationships during adolescence. The current sample included 100 mother-daughter dyads who completed a survey on their fat talk disclosure, eating pathology, and depressive symptoms. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) was utilized for the dyadic data. Adolescent girls' and mothers' engagement in fat talk was related to their own eating pathology. Daughters, but not mothers, who engaged in more fat talk reported more depressive symptoms. When mothers and daughters both had high levels of fat talk, it was associated with a higher risk of daughters' eating pathology. Adolescent girls who engaged in fat talk reported higher depressive symptoms when their mothers did not reciprocate with more fat talk. This study highlights the importance of an interpersonal approach to fat talk research and clinical interventions addressing adolescents' eating disorders and depression.

Reach, engagement, and effectiveness: a systematic review of evaluation methodologies used in health promotion via social networking sites

Issue addressed Social networking sites (SNS) are increasingly popular platforms for health promotion. Advancements in SNS health promotion require quality evidence; however, interventions are often not formally evaluated. This study aims to describe evaluation practices used in SNS health promotion. Methods A systematic review was undertaken of Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, Communication and Mass Media Complete, and Cochrane Library databases. Articles published between 2006 and 2013 describing any health promotion intervention delivered using SNS were included. Results Forty-seven studies were included. There were two main evaluation approaches: closed designs (n=23), which used traditional research designs and formal recruitment procedures; and open designs (n=19), which evaluated the intervention in a real-world setting, allowing unknown SNS users to interact with the content without enrolling in research. Closed designs were unable to assess reach and engagement beyond their research sample. Open designs often relied on weaker study designs with no use of objective outcome measures and yielded low response rates. Conclusions Barriers to evaluation included low participation rates, high attrition, unknown representativeness and lack of comparison groups. Acceptability was typically assessed among those engaged with the intervention, with limited population data available to accurately assess intervention reach. Few studies were able to assess uptake of the intervention in a real-life setting while simultaneously assessing effectiveness of interventions with research rigour. So what? Through use of quasi-experimental or well designed before-after evaluations, in combination with detailed engagement metrics, it is possible to balance assessment of effectiveness and reach to evaluate SNS health promotion.

Challenging fat talk: An experimental investigation of reactions to body disparaging conversations

Although "fat talk" is associated with increased eating disorder risk, the predictors of fat talk engagement and viable alternatives to these pervasive conversations remain unclear. The current experiment examined responses to fat talk versus feminist-oriented challenging fat talk scenarios. Undergraduate women (N=283) completed baseline questionnaires assessing body dissatisfaction, fat talk engagement, and positive impression management. One week later, they were randomized to view one of the two scenarios, followed by assessment of mood, fat talk engagement, social acceptability, and social likeability. Results indicated that the challenging fat talk vignette (versus the fat talk vignette) yielded less negative affect and fat talk and was perceived as more socially attractive with a more likeable target character. Baseline body dissatisfaction, baseline fat talk tendencies, and momentary negative affect predicted post-exposure fat talk engagement. Current findings highlight possibilities for implementing feminist language and psychoeducation in fat talk prevention efforts.

Attitudes and Attitude Change

This review covers research on attitudes and attitude change published between 2010 and 2017. We characterize this period as one of significant progress toward an understanding of how attitudes form and change in three critical contexts. The first context is the person, as attitudes change in connection to values, general goals, language, emotions, and human development. The second context is social relationships, which link attitude change to the communicator of persuasive messages, social media, and culture. The third context is sociohistorical and highlights the influence of unique events, including sociopolitical, economic, and climatic occurrences. In conclusion, many important recent findings reflect the fact that holism, with a focus on situating attitudes within their personal, social, and historical contexts, has become the zeitgeist of attitude research during this period.

Body talk, weight status, and pathological eating behavior in romantic relationships

This study examined whether engagement in body talk would interact with weight status (body mass index; BMI) to predict pathological eating behaviors among romantically involved adults. Adults (N = 137, females = 86.86%, average age = 23.50) involved in a romantic relationship were recruited to complete an online survey about their body image, dietary behaviors, and engagement in body talk. Results indicated that engagement in negative body talk was directly related to higher pathological eating (i.e., drive for thinness, dieting, and bulimia symptoms). Positive body talk, on the other hand, had a significant interaction effect with BMI to predict pathological eating. For individuals with a high BMI, high engagement in positive body talk was associated with increased drive for thinness, dieting, and bulimia symptoms. However, for those with a low BMI, high engagement in positive body talk was protective against pathological eating. These findings suggest that while negative body talk is harmful in general, positive body talk is uniquely problematic for individuals of a higher weight status.

Is listening to fat talk the same as participating in fat talk?

Our study examined whether verbally participating in fat talk conversations had a different effect on women's body image perception than merely listening to friends engage in fat talk conversations. Participants were 321 women who completed measures of listening to and participating in fat talk conversations, drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and dietary restraint. Results indicated that verbally participating in fat talk was a much stronger predictor of women's drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and dietary restraint than merely listening to friends engage in fat talk conversations.

Fat Talk and Body Image Disturbance

Although the link between fat talk and body dissatisfaction is well established, the link between fat talk and other body image disturbance components remains underexplored. Our meta-analytic review explored the cross-sectional, experimental, and longitudinal relations between fat talk and body dissatisfaction, body surveillance, body shame, pressure to be thin, thin-ideal internalization, body checking, and appearance-based comparisons. We identified 35 relevant studies via electronic databases. Meta-analyses provided effect size estimates based on study design and whether fat talk was the predictor or outcome of body image disturbance. Results showed that fat talk is related to a broader range of body image constructs than just body dissatisfaction and that accumulated evidence from longitudinal and experimental studies—although limited in number—suggests it is more plausible that fat talk is a risk factor for these body image constructs, rather than a consequence of them. Nevertheless, the suggestion that fat talk may play a role in the causal sequence of body image issues highlights this as a potential area of intervention for researchers and clinicians. Given that fat talk is common and often well intentioned, awareness-raising exercises for parents and peers may be necessary to curb its incidence and impacts. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/page/pwq/suppl/index .

Correlates, causes, and consequences of fat talk: A review

Fat talk is a term used to describe self-disparaging remarks made to other people about one's weight or body. Fat talk has been both causally and correlationally linked to a number of negative body image-related variables including low body esteem, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, body-related cognitive distortions, and perceived sociocultural pressure to be thin. As such, body image researchers and clinicians would benefit from increased awareness of the current literature concerning fat talk. A narrative synthesis approach is used to summarize all research containing the keywords fat talk, body talk, or weight talk that was published from 1994 to 2014 inclusive. The measures used to study fat talk, outcomes and correlates associated with fat talk, theories that may help explain these findings, and the purpose served by fat talk are reviewed and discussed. In addition, directions for future research on fat talk, including intervention strategies, are examined.

Changing the course of comorbid eating disorders and depression: what is the role of public health interventions in targeting shared risk factors?

Public health has a productive history of improving global health due to its focus on reaching large populations using effective and scalable interventions. Yet, the marriage between evidence-based science and the implementation of community/public health interventions within mental illness remains underdeveloped. Research suggests that major depression is the most commonly cited comorbidity for eating disorders (EDs). Thus, identification of public health strategies that jointly impact depression and EDs, including shared risk factors, has the potential to significantly impact mental health suffering. The primary aim of this paper is to examine and discuss such public health approaches as well as explore cues taken from public health efforts to inform future directions in research and clinical practice. As a comprehensive review of all public health initiatives that address EDs and depression is beyond the scope of this paper, this paper reviews a series of programs/approaches that either are of large scale and/or have received empirical support. In particular, public health related interventions that aim to reduce variable risk factors associated with EDs and depression, as well as interventions that aim to reduce continuous measures of ED and depression symptoms are reviewed. To date, despite significant progress in modifying risk factors for EDs and depression, the field still lacks a public health study that has been appropriately designed and/or adequately powered to assess true ED/depression prevention effects. Further, although several programs show promise, many widely disseminated approaches lack empirical support, raising concerns about the potential for waste of limited resources. In summary, although the combination of prevention and public health based approaches appear to have merit when trying to move the needle on risk factors and symptoms associated with EDs and/or depression, further research is needed to investigate the reach and effectiveness of large scale dissemination efforts of such endeavors.