#Thisis40: Body image among adult women who post selfies.

Prior research suggests that using photo-based social media may increase body image concerns among young women. Consumption of versus contribution to social media may moderate this relationship, and the type of content contributed (e.g., self-images or "selfies") may further account for variations. A critical limitation of the extant scholarship is a lack of attention to understudied groups, such as older women. Using a cross-sectional sample of 238 midlife women (Mage = 50.92), this study investigated the relationship between social media behavior, perceived effects of social media use, and body image indices. Results indicated that our sample of midlife women contributed mainly photos of their current setting and family, contrasting with prior work among younger women. Results suggested that the type of content contributed may be more pertinent to body image than social media behavior generally, and highlighted complex relationships. Posting photos broadly was associated only with lower drive for youthfulness. However, selfie posting specifically was associated with greater facial satisfaction as well as greater positive (e.g., connectedness) and negative (e.g., appearance concerns) perceived effects of social media, but not drive for youthfulness. Results suggest that the type of content contributed to social media may be a particularly important factor for body image, and highlight complex relationships potentially influenced by unmeasured factors such as social media use motivations. Together, these findings contribute to a fuller understanding of social media and body image and call for further theoretically-driven work in this area to guide effective prevention resources.

A sociocultural model of the relationships between social media use and body image in midlife women.

The use of photo-based social media has been associated with body image concerns among young women. Women in midlife are increasingly experiencing appearance pressures, and these pressures might be particularly strong on social media. However, to date, most of the research on social media use has focused on younger women, and this constitutes an important gap. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine a model of the relationships among social media use and body image among women aged 40 and over. A convenience sample of 192 women aged 40-73 years completed an online survey assessing selfie investment, social media appearance pressures, thin-ideal internalization, appearance comparison, weight and shape concerns, facial satisfaction, drive for youthfulness and drive for muscularity. The final sociocultural model was a good fit to the data, and thin-ideal internalization and appearance comparisons mediated the pathways between the social media variables and the body image ones.

Pressures to be "shedding for the wedding": An evaluation of the tripartite influence model of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction among engaged women.

Disordered eating and body image concerns are particularly prevalent among women who are engaged to be married (i.e., brides-to-be), and this population may be subject to increased social and cultural pressure to achieve specific appearance ideals. The tripartite influence model purports that appearance pressures from four sources (peers, family, romantic partners, and media) influence body image and disordered eating outcomes through thin ideal internalization and appearance comparison. The present cross-sectional study sought to examine the relationships between tripartite theory constructs, body image, and disordered eating among 329 brides-to-be using path analysis with robust estimation. In the final model, media influence was the only tripartite predictor associated with both thin ideal internalization and appearance comparison. Further, thin ideal internalization and appearance comparison were associated with disordered eating directly as well as indirectly through body dissatisfaction. Altogether, the influence variables explained 39 % of the variance in disordered eating. While appearance pressures from media, peers, and partners were indirectly associated with disordered eating through one or more hypothesized indirect pathways, appearance pressure from family was not, indicating this relationship may be uniquely impacted by other factors not captured in tripartite models. Results suggest that family and media influence are most strongly associated with disordered eating in this group and have the capacity to inform future research as well as intervention development and dissemination.

Toward inclusivity: A systematic review of the conceptualization of sexual minority status and associated eating disorder outcomes across two decades.

OBJECTIVE: Sexual minority (SM) groups (e.g., those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, queer, asexual, or those who feel their sexual orientation identity cannot be captured with existing terminology [LGBQA+] and those who report same-sex or same-gender attraction and/or behavior) are at elevated risk for eating disorder (ED) symptoms and behaviors. However, the ways in which this risk varies across SM is less clear, and findings are not fully convergent. Evolution in the definition and assessment of SM status may contribute to this divergence. The aim of this study was to systematically review how sexual orientation and SM status have been assessed in the ED literature and how this may relate to patterns of associations between SM status and ED symptoms. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature focused on ED symptoms and behaviors and SM groups was conducted, yielding 182 studies. RESULTS: Five categories were created reflecting SM status assessment: identity only (n = 105), attraction only (n = 8), behavior only (n = 4), combinations of identity, behavior, or attraction (n = 58), and articles with unclear or insufficient information about SM status assessment (n = 7). SM status operationalizations varied across studies, with more inclusive assessments in more recent work. Findings revealed persistent conflicting patterns of disordered eating symptomatology for some SM groups. In addition, decisions to selectively combine SM participants in some studies, most often to increase power, decreased the specificity of their results in relation to differential risk and protective factors within specific LGBQA+ groups. DISCUSSION: Findings highlight the importance of inclusive assessments of sexual orientation in the ED literature and research focused on underrepresented groups with intersecting identities. Identifying modifiable targets for intervention is a critical next step. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Sexual minority (SM) groups have been identified as presenting elevated risk for eating disorder symptoms and behaviors. Our findings suggest that the level of risk is variable across SM groups and points to the need for multi-dimensional assessments of SM status, and increased focus on the function of disordered eating behaviors and different profiles that might emerge related to efforts to modify physical appearance or to regulate emotion.

OBJETIVO: Los grupos de minorías sexuales (SM) tienen un riesgo elevado de síntomas y comportamientos de trastornos de la conducta alimentaria. Sin embargo, las formas en que este riesgo varía entre SM son menos claras. La evolución en la definición y evaluación del estatus de SM puede contribuir a esta divergencia. El objetivo de este estudio fue revisar sistemáticamente cómo se han evaluado la orientación sexual y el estado de SM en la literatura sobre trastornos de la conducta alimentaria y cómo esto puede relacionarse con los patrones de asociaciones entre el estado de SM y los síntomas del trastorno alimentario. MÉTODOS: Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura centrada en los síntomas y comportamientos del trastorno de la conducta alimentaria y los grupos de SM, que arrojó 182 estudios. RESULTADOS: Se crearon cinco categorías que reflejan la evaluación del estado de SM: solo identidad (n = 105), solo atracción (n = 8), solo comportamiento (n = 4), combinaciones de identidad, comportamiento o atracción (n = 58) y artículos con información poco clara o insuficiente sobre la evaluación del estado de SM (n = 7). Las operacionalizaciones del estado de SM variaron entre los estudios, con evaluaciones combinadas más inclusivas en el trabajo más reciente. Los hallazgos revelaron patrones persistentes y conflictivos de sintomatología alimentaria disfuncional para algunos grupos de SM. Además, las decisiones de combinar selectivamente a los participantes de SM en algunos estudios, con mayor frecuencia para aumentar el poder, disminuyeron la especificidad de sus resultados en relación con el riesgo diferencial y los factores de protección dentro de grupos LGBQA+ específicos. DISCUSIÓN: Los hallazgos resaltan la importancia de las evaluaciones inclusivas de la orientación sexual en la literatura sobre trastornos alimentarios y la investigación centrada en grupos subrepresentados con identidades que se cruzan. Identificar objetivos modificables para la intervención como recursos es un siguiente paso crítico.

Body image and associated factors among sexual minority men: A systematic review.

Research suggests that the risk of body image concerns among sexual minority men is high. Recent work has increasingly examined body image in relation to psychological, interpersonal, and behavioral constructs, but these findings have yet to be consolidated and critically examined to identify potential risk and protective factors. The present study sought to systematically review and synthesize published findings on body image among sexual minority men. A total of 136 articles published between January 2011 and March 2022 were included. Sexual minority men were generally reported to have more negative body image compared to heterosexual men, yet findings varied across body image constructs. In correlational work, body image was often examined in relation to disordered eating, mental health, internalization of appearance ideals, objectification, sexual behavior and relationships, gay community identification and discrimination, and health concerns (e.g., HIV, AIDS). Robust relationships emerged among body image and stigma variables, including internalized homophobia and harassment related to LGBTQ+ presentation and intersecting minority identities. Sociocultural, objectification, and minority stress theories were employed to interpret findings and to delineate future directions grounded in intersectional approaches. Additional work focused on the role of stigma and discrimination in the development of these concerns across the lifespan is needed.