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Ittefaq M, Reynolds-Tylus T. Memorable Messages About Mental Health Among International Students in the United States: A Mixed-Method Study. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38778630 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2024.2359170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the memorable messages about mental health that international students (N = 199) received from various sources since arriving on campus in the U.S. Utilizing the memorable messages framework, we examined the types of messages (normalizing, strategizing, minimizing) they received and their association with message satisfaction, mental health stigma, and attitude toward help-seeking. The most frequently recalled messages were normalizing messages (49.2%), followed by strategizing messages (31.7%), and minimizing messages (9.5%). Participants who recalled normalizing and strategizing messages reported higher satisfaction and a more favorable attitude toward help-seeking compared to those who recalled minimizing messages. These findings offer theoretical implications for memorable messages and immigrant populations, as well as practical implications for campaign messaging and design. These results can guide university officials in tailoring their efforts to meet the mental health needs of this vulnerable population.
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Bogár N, Kővágó P, Túry F. Increased eating disorder frequency and body image disturbance among fashion models due to intense environmental pressure: a content analysis. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1360962. [PMID: 38633033 PMCID: PMC11021945 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1360962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Female fashion models are under intense occupational pressure. The present study focuses on assessing the lived experience of fashion models with regards to their dieting and exercising habits, body image perception, eating disorder-like symptoms, and experience of abuse via self-narrated reports. Methods Series of open questions were distributed among international fashion models (N=84, mean age=23.2 years; mean BMI=16.9) selected by convenience and snowball sampling. Models from 17 countries participated. The questions targeted models' eating, exercising, dieting habits, body image perception, and eating disorder symptoms. The average word count of the transcripts was 2473.9 (SD = 2791.6). Thematic content analysis was performed on the transcripts. A total of 31 codes were created to address disordered eating and body image concerns. Results Negative body-related claims appeared in 89.3%, and positive claims in 64.3% of the models' transcripts. Negative remarks about eating were made by 45.2% of the participants, and 23.8% positively. Control over their food intake was exercised by 78.6% of the participants and 40.5% used extreme calorie restriction. Models who talked more positively about their bodies expressed significantly more frequently extreme calorie restriction. Extreme sports habits occurred in 23.8% of the transcripts, obsessive sports habits were claimed by 11.9% of participants. Self-induced vomiting was prominent in 14.3% of the answers. Criticism from other industry members was experienced by 83.3% of the participants while 44.0% received body appreciation. Body image disorder-like symptoms were expressed by 63.1% of models. Such models mentioned significantly more often content about eating disorders and talked significantly more negatively about eating. Psychological problems were mentioned by 48.8%, whereas 16.7% took part in psychotherapy. Those who partake in therapy mentioned significantly more eating disorder content in their narratives. Abuse was mentioned by 25.0% of the models. Conclusion Fashion models are experiencing increased environmental pressure to conform to the extreme slimness ideal. There is a heightened prevalence of disordered eating and other weight-controlling behaviours among fashion models to succeed in their careers. Qualitative research is crucial in understanding the more subtle dynamics in conforming to and maintaining the thin beauty ideal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolett Bogár
- Semmelweis University, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Pál Kővágó
- Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Institute of Psychology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Túry
- Semmelweis University, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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Basinger ED, Quinlan MM, Rawlings M. Memorable Messages About Fat Bodies Before, During, and After Pregnancy. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023; 38:3069-3079. [PMID: 36199193 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2131982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Weight bias is prevalent for people in large bodies who are trying to conceive, pregnant, or postpartum. Using the theory of memorable messages as a framework, we explored the sources, valence, and content of messages that fat individuals (N = 237) recalled about their bodies before pregnancy through the postpartum stage. The most common source of memorable messages was healthcare providers, and most (77.2%) messages were negatively valenced. Thematic analysis revealed four overarching themes (fat mothers are bad mothers, denial of competent treatment, weight-normative commentary on fat bodies, and weight-inclusive counter-narratives). Our findings illuminate the significance of patient-practitioner communication across the pregnancy trajectory and highlight how counter-narratives can disrupt negative messages about fat pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin D Basinger
- Department of Communication Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Margaret M Quinlan
- Department of Communication Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
| | - Margaret Rawlings
- Department of Communication Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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Jordan E. "If You Don't Lose Weight, the Government Will Take You Away": An Analysis of Memorable Messages and Eating Disorders in the LGBTQ+ Community. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023; 38:2925-2935. [PMID: 36127805 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2126695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Family communication plays a key role in children's body image, disordered eating, and full-blown eating disorders;. However, much existing communication research on eating disorders has focused on general populations. As the LGBTQ+ community is disproportionately affected by eating disorders , more work is needed to better understand how family communication may be perceived as influencing eating disorders in the LGBTQ+ community. Thus, the current study aimed to further this understanding by examining familial memorable messages reported by LGBTQ+ individuals which they perceived to have influenced their eating disorders. In a Qualtrics survey, participants (n = 73) provided memorable messages received from family members and explained their significance. Results of a thematic analysis indicate five themes among the memorable messages: Problematic Body Size/Weight, Pathologized Eating, Emphasizing Appearance Ideals, Emotion Origins, and Other Focus. Findings support the theory of memorable messages and reveal the ways in which diet culture and LGBTQ+ identity stigma intersect within parent-child communication toward a perceived influence on LGBTQ+ eating disorders. Implications for future communication research on LGBTQ+ eating disorders, as well as practical applications, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Jordan
- Department of Communication, University of Missouri
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Flood-Grady E, Starcher SC, Bergquist GL. Parental Memorable Messages about Depression: Implications for Perceived Support, Stigma, Relational Satisfaction, and Treatment-Seeking among Young Adults with Depression. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023; 38:11-20. [PMID: 34002657 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2021.1926108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Using a memorable message framework, we explored the content of parental memorable messages about depression and differences in perceptions of parental social support and stigma, relational satisfaction, and depression treatment-seeking among young adults diagnosed with depression (N= 128) based on message type (i.e., content). Thematic analyses revealed seven prominent categories of parental memorable messages about depression (e.g., We will be there, Depression isn't real). Young adult's perceptions of parental support, stigma, and relational satisfaction differed based on message type, though differences in treatment-seeking based on message type were non-significant. Our findings illuminate the significance of parental communication about depression and how the content of messages about depression are linked to perceptions of parental support, stigma, and relational satisfaction among young adult with depression. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shawn C Starcher
- Communication, Media, and Theatre Department, Muskingum University
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Fixsen A, Kossewska M, Bardey A. I'm Skinny, I'm Worth More: Fashion Models' Experiences of Aesthetic Labor and Its Impact on Body Image and Eating Behaviors. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2023; 33:81-91. [PMID: 36475406 PMCID: PMC9827487 DOI: 10.1177/10497323221141629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The fashion industry has been critiqued for promoting ultra-thin bodies, yet the relationship between models' aesthetic labor and eating disorder (ED) development is unclear. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis, we explored the lived experiences of nine female fashion models including metaphors they used to describe body perceptions and eating behaviors. Four superordinate themes emerged: Shaped for the industry; The body as a market product; Food restriction ("it's almost glamorized"); Toward a healthier modelhood. Models' career trajectories were those of lost childhoods, punitive body rules, inadequate dietary advice, and self-regulated food restriction. Models were "shaped" by agents from an early age to conform to the industry's body rules irrespective of the physiological and psychological consequences. A "toxic" side to this aesthetic industry was depicted; agents were judged callous and money-focused, while idioms like, "feeling like a piece of meat" and "being a hanger of clothes" conveyed a deep sense of degradation and objectification. Ideas instilled at a formative age continued to influence self-image and eating patterns into maturity, pointing to an industrial element to the construction of eating disorders. Our study highlights how infantilization, sexism, and other unethical elements become normalized in poorly regulated industries such as fashion, with dire consequences for the health and wellbeing of employees. Model agencies should recognize the impact of occupational edicts and poor communication on young recruits in a sensitive phase of personality development. Finally, we advocate for more acknowledgment and further investigation into eating disorder construction commercial/industrial side.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Fixsen
- Department of Psychology,
University of Westminster, London,
UK
| | | | - Aurore Bardey
- Burgundy School of Business,
Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté,
Besancon, France
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Brown NR, Wingate LT. The Influence of Memorable Message Receipt on Dietary and Exercise Behavior among Self-Identified Black Women. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2022; 37:1157-1166. [PMID: 34402348 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2021.1962587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Guided by Control Theory and the memorable messages framework, the current investigation examined the relationship between receipt of a health-related memorable message and self-reported diet and exercise behavior. A cross-sectional survey methodology was utilized to evaluate the relationship between receipt of a memorable message and dietary and exercise behaviors in a sample of Black women. Over 80% of the research sample (N = 121) reported receiving a memorable health message regarding diet and/or exercise. Women receiving a memorable message reported a significantly higher number of days engaging in healthy eating and exercise behaviors each week. Messages from medical professionals had the greatest impact on healthy dietary practices, while media-based messages were most influential on the enactment of exercise behavior. Additional research is warranted to determine how the utilization and reinforcement of memorable messages impacts health outcomes among Black women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - La'Marcus T Wingate
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical & Administrative Pharmacy Sciences, Howard University
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Diniz E, Bernardes SF, Castro P. Self- and Other-Dehumanization Processes in Health-Related Contexts: A Critical Review of the Literature. REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/1089268019880889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Dehumanization is an everyday, pervasive phenomenon in health contexts. Given its detrimental consequences to health care, much research has been dedicated to understanding and promoting the humanization of health services. However, health care service research has neglected the sociopsychological processes involved in the dehumanization of self and others, in formal but also informal health-related contexts. Drawing upon sociopsychological models of dehumanization, this article will bridge this gap by presenting a critical review of studies on everyday meaning-making and person perception processes of dehumanization in health-related contexts. A database search was conducted in PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, using a combination of keywords on dehumanization and health/illness/body; 3,229 references were screened; 95 full texts were assessed for eligibility; 59 studies were included. Most studies focused on informal contexts, reflecting a decontextualized and one-sided view of dehumanization (i.e., not integrating actors’ and victims’ perspectives). Despite the dominant focus on self-dehumanization, emerging perspectives uncover the role of processes that deny human uniqueness to others, and their individual determinants and consequences for mental health. A few studies bring to light the functions of a variety of dehumanizing body metaphors on self- and other-dehumanization. These trends in the literature leave several gaps, which are here critically analyzed to inform future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Diniz
- ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS-IUL), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sónia F. Bernardes
- ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS-IUL), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Paula Castro
- ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS-IUL), Lisbon, Portugal
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Anderson J, Zhu Y, Zhuang J, Nelson J, Bresnahan M, Yan X. Metaphors that communicate weight-based stigma in political news: A case study of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. EUROPEAN REVIEW OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.erap.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Arroyo A, Segrin C, Andersen KK. Intergenerational transmission of disordered eating: Direct and indirect maternal communication among grandmothers, mothers, and daughters. Body Image 2017; 20:107-115. [PMID: 28129572 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The current study explored disordered eating (i.e., dieting, bulimia and food preoccupation, and oral control) among grandmothers, their daughters, and their granddaughters, and also explored specific direct (i.e., maternal commentary) and indirect (i.e., maternal modeling) communication behaviors as mechanisms by which disordered eating is intergenerationally transmitted. A sample of 242 grandmother-mother-daughter triads provided self-reports of their own disordered eating and perceptions of their mothers' weight-related behaviors. Results revealed that only mothers' and daughters' reports of disordered eating were related, but not grandmothers' and mothers' nor grandmothers' and daughters'. However, a number of indirect effects were observed through maternal commentary and maternal modeling, including an indirect effect of grandmothers' reports of maternal communication on their granddaughters' disordered eating. Data from three generations of women illustrate the intergenerational transmission of disordered eating within families, specific communication variables that may propagate this relationship, and possible cohort and age effects within the sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Analisa Arroyo
- University of Georgia, Department of Communication Studies, United States.
| | - Chris Segrin
- University of Arizona, Department of Communication, Tucson, Arizona, United States
| | - Kristin K Andersen
- University of Georgia, Department of Communication Studies, United States
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Fixsen AM. "I'm Not Waving, I'm Drowning": An Autoethnographical Exploration of Biographical Disruption and Reconstruction During Recovery From Prescribed Benzodiazepine Use. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2016; 26:466-481. [PMID: 25800715 DOI: 10.1177/1049732315576496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Benzodiazepines are group of drugs used mainly as sedatives, hypnotics, muscle relaxants, and anti-epileptics. Tapering off benzodiazepines is, for some users, a painful, traumatic, and protracted process. In this article, I use an autoethnographic approach, adopting the metaphor of water, to examine heuristically my experience of iatrogenic illness and recovery. I draw on personal journals and blog entries and former users' narratives to consider the particular form of biographical disruption associated with benzodiazepines and the processes involved in identity reconstruction. I emphasize the role of the online community in providing benzodiazepine users such as myself with a co-cultural community through which to share a voice and make sense of our experiences. I explain how the success stories of former users provided me with the hope that I, the "medical victim," could become the "victor" and in the process construct a new life and fresh identity.
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Davis LA, Morgan SE, Mobley AR. The Utility of the Memorable Messages Framework as an Intermediary Evaluation Tool for Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in a Nutrition Education Program. HEALTH EDUCATION & BEHAVIOR 2015; 43:321-7. [PMID: 26317229 DOI: 10.1177/1090198115599987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Additional strategies to evaluate the impact of community nutrition education programs on low-income individuals are needed. The objective of this qualitative study was to examine the use of the Memorable Messages Framework as an intermediary nutrition education program evaluation tool to determine what fruit and vegetable messages were reported as memorable and the characteristics of those memorable messages. A convenience sample of low-income, primarily African American adults (N = 58) who previously completed a series of community nutrition education lessons within an urban area of Indiana participated in a focus group (N = 8 focus groups). A lead moderator using a semistructured script conducted the focus groups to determine what information about fruits and vegetables was most memorable from the participants' nutrition lessons and why this information was memorable. All focus group audiotapes were transcribed verbatim and ATLAS.ti software was used to code and identify themes within the data. Participants cited quantity, variety, and the positive nutritional impact of eating fruits and vegetables as most memorable. Information given in the form of recipes was also cited as most memorable. For example, participants referred to the recipe demonstrations as not only fun but also key components of the program that helped with message retention and memorability. Key characteristics of memorable messages included personal relevance and message vividness. These findings indicated that the Memorable Messages Framework may serve as an intermediary program evaluation tool to identify what information and messages are most influential to participants in community nutrition education programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- LaShara A Davis
- Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ, USA Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Susan E Morgan
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA Center for Communication, Culture, and Change, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Amy R Mobley
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
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