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Bocci Benucci S, Fioravanti G, Silvestro V, Spinelli MC, Brogioni G, Casalini A, Allegrini L, Altomare AI, Castellini G, Ricca V, Rotella F. The Impact of Following Instagram Influencers on Women's Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Disorder Symptoms. Nutrients 2024; 16:2730. [PMID: 39203866 PMCID: PMC11356888 DOI: 10.3390/nu16162730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
According to the Tripartite Influence Model, social media is one of the primary sources influencing women's body dissatisfaction. However, the role of social media influencers as a potential driver for impacting users' body image evaluation when disseminating content on social networks has been little investigated. The present research aims to explore the relationship between following three Instagram influencers (i.e., nutrition, fitness, and entertainment) and eating disorder (ED) symptoms and body dissatisfaction among a group of female users. A sample of 5060 women (mean age = 35.33 ± 9.33) were recruited with the collaboration of three Italian influencers, and self-reported questionnaires were administered. Women who followed the nutritional influencer account reported significantly higher scores on ED symptoms and body dissatisfaction than women who followed the fitness and entertainment influencer accounts (η2 = 0.05 and η2 = 0.02, respectively). Overall, following nutrition and fitness accounts (compared to entertainment accounts) and spending more time daily on social networks positively predicts ED symptoms (β = 0.28, p < 0.001, β = 0.10, p < 0.001, β = 0.11, p < 0.001, respectively) and body dissatisfaction (β = 0.07, p < 0.001, β = 0.04, p < 0.001, β = 0.07, p < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, following nutritional influencers compared to fitness influencers positively predicts ED symptoms (β = 0.17, p < 0.001) but not body dissatisfaction. The current results suggest that being exposed to dieting and weight loss topics on social media might be particularly harmful for individuals with specific vulnerabilities. Practical implications will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bocci Benucci
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Giulia Fioravanti
- Psychology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, 50135 Florence, Italy;
| | - Valeria Silvestro
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (V.S.); (M.C.S.); (G.B.); (A.C.); (L.A.); (A.I.A.); (G.C.); (V.R.)
| | - Maria Chiara Spinelli
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (V.S.); (M.C.S.); (G.B.); (A.C.); (L.A.); (A.I.A.); (G.C.); (V.R.)
| | - Giulietta Brogioni
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (V.S.); (M.C.S.); (G.B.); (A.C.); (L.A.); (A.I.A.); (G.C.); (V.R.)
| | - Alessia Casalini
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (V.S.); (M.C.S.); (G.B.); (A.C.); (L.A.); (A.I.A.); (G.C.); (V.R.)
| | - Lara Allegrini
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (V.S.); (M.C.S.); (G.B.); (A.C.); (L.A.); (A.I.A.); (G.C.); (V.R.)
| | - Arianna Ida Altomare
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (V.S.); (M.C.S.); (G.B.); (A.C.); (L.A.); (A.I.A.); (G.C.); (V.R.)
| | - Giovanni Castellini
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (V.S.); (M.C.S.); (G.B.); (A.C.); (L.A.); (A.I.A.); (G.C.); (V.R.)
| | - Valdo Ricca
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (V.S.); (M.C.S.); (G.B.); (A.C.); (L.A.); (A.I.A.); (G.C.); (V.R.)
| | - Francesco Rotella
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (V.S.); (M.C.S.); (G.B.); (A.C.); (L.A.); (A.I.A.); (G.C.); (V.R.)
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Lathan HS, Kwan A, Takats C, Tanner JP, Wormer R, Romero D, Jones HE. Ethical considerations and methodological uses of Facebook data in public health research: A systematic review. Soc Sci Med 2023; 322:115807. [PMID: 36889221 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Since 2016, around seven in 10 adults in the United States (U.S.) actively use Facebook. While much Facebook data is publicly available for research, many users may not understand how their data are being used. We sought to examine to what extent research ethical practices were employed and the research methods being used with Facebook data in public health research. METHODS We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO registration CRD42020148170) of social media-based public health research focused on Facebook published in peer-reviewed journals in English between January 1, 2006 and October 31, 2019. We extracted data on ethical practices, methodology, and data analytic approaches. For studies that included verbatim user content, we attempted to locate users/posts within a timed 10-min period. RESULTS Sixty-one studies met eligibility criteria. Just under half (48%, n = 29) sought IRB approval and six (10%) sought and obtained informed consent from Facebook users. Users' written content appeared in 39 (64%) papers, of which 36 presented verbatim quotes. We were able to locate users/posts within 10 min for half (50%, n = 18) of the 36 studies containing verbatim content. Identifiable posts included content about sensitive health topics. We identified six categories of analytic approaches to using these data: network analysis, utility (i.e., usefulness of Facebook as a tool for surveillance, public health dissemination, or attitudes), associational studies of users' behavior and health outcomes, predictive model development, and two types of content analysis (thematic analysis and sentiment analysis). Associational studies were the most likely to seek IRB review (5/6, 83%), while those of utility (0/4, 0%) and prediction (1/4, 25%) were the least likely to do so. CONCLUSIONS Stronger guidance on research ethics for using Facebook data, especially the use of personal identifiers, is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Stuart Lathan
- City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), New York, NY, USA
| | - Amy Kwan
- City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), New York, NY, USA
| | - Courtney Takats
- City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua P Tanner
- City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Wormer
- City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), New York, NY, USA
| | - Diana Romero
- City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), New York, NY, USA
| | - Heidi E Jones
- City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), New York, NY, USA; City University of New York Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health (ISPH), New York, NY, USA.
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