Body dissatisfaction, eating behavior and the use of social media in undergraduate life course students.

  • Laís Verdi Pasquali Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
  • Heloísa Theodoro Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
  • Karina Giane Mendes Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
  • Ana Carolina Pio da Silva Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
Keywords: Social media, Body dissatisfaction, Eating behavior

Abstract

Introduction: Social media is an important mean of communication today. However, if not used correctly, they can negatively impact people's mental health, especially women. The growing dissatisfaction with one's own body is due, for one reason, to the frequent online comparison. It is known that two of the main risk factors for the development of Eating Disorders (ED) are body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior. Objective: to relate eating behavior and body dissatisfaction with the use of social media in students of the Life Sciences Area at a private university in the southern region of the country. Materials and Methods: cross-sectional observational research, carried out through the application of an online questionnaire, using the Google Forms platform. The EAT-26 and BSQ-34 questionnaires were also used. Results and Discussion: of the 205 students, 57.5% were dissatisfied with their own body image and 29.7% were at risk for ED. Of these, 69.8% reported comparing themselves with other people in the online environment and 92.2% wished to have the body of someone from the social media, as well as 59.5% said they felt anxiety and 52.2% reported worsening of self-esteem after using some social media. Conclusion: social media can exert a high influence on mental health, especially for women, and can negatively impact body image perception and, consequently, eating behavior.

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Published
2022-11-21
How to Cite
Pasquali, L. V., Theodoro, H., Mendes, K. G., & Silva, A. C. P. da. (2022). Body dissatisfaction, eating behavior and the use of social media in undergraduate life course students. Brazilian Journal of Obesity, Nutrition and Weight Loss, 16(103), 832-841. Retrieved from https://www.rbone.com.br/index.php/rbone/article/view/2135
Issue
Vol. 16 No. 103 (2022)
Section
Scientific Articles - Original

Copyright (c) 2022 Laís Verdi Pasquali, Heloísa Theodoro, Karina Giane Mendes, Ana Carolina Pio da Silva

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