The association between social media addiction and eating disturbances is mediated by muscle dysmorphia-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study in a sample of young adults

Claudio Imperatori; Angelo Panno; Giuseppe Alessio Carbone; Ornella Corazza; Ines Taddei; Laura Bernabei; Chiara Massullo; Elisabeth Prevete; Lorenzo Tarsitani; Massimo Pasquini; Benedetto Farina; Massimo Biondi; Francesco Saverio Bersani

doi:10.1007/s40519-021-01232-2

The association between social media addiction and eating disturbances is mediated by muscle dysmorphia-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study in a sample of young adults

Claudio Imperatori, Angelo Panno, Giuseppe Alessio Carbone, Ornella Corazza, Ines Taddei, Laura Bernabei, Chiara Massullo, Elisabeth Prevete, Lorenzo Tarsitani, Massimo Pasquini, Benedetto Farina, Massimo Biondi, Francesco Saverio Bersani

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Abstract

PURPOSE: Although the association between problematic use of the internet and eating disorders (EDs) in young adults has been previously established, its underlying mechanisms have not been completely clarified. It has been suggested that exposure to idealized very thin and toned body images (e.g., "thinspiration" and "fitspiration" trends) on social media might lead to increased feelings of body dissatisfaction which, in turn, can represent a trigger for EDs. We have tested this hypothesis in a sample (N = 721) of young adults (504 females, mean age: 24.13 ± 3.70 years; range 18-34).

METHODS: Self-report measures investigating symptoms related to social media addiction (SMA), muscle dysmorphia (MD), and EDs were used. A mediational model analyzing the direct and indirect effects of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms through the mediating role of MD-related symptoms was performed controlling for confounding factors (e.g., socio-demographic variables, substances use, body mass index, psychopathological distress).

RESULTS: The model showed that the total effect of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms was significant (B = 0.213; p = 0.022) and that this association was mediated by MD-related symptoms (B = 0.083; p = 0.021).DISCUSSION: Our findings support the possibility that MD-related symptoms play a relevant role in mediating the association between SMA severity and ED pathology.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Original language	English
Number of pages	10
Journal	Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity
Early online date	26 Jun 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-021-01232-2
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 26 Jun 2021

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© The Author(s) 2021. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Imperatori, C., Panno, A., Carbone, G. A., Corazza, O., Taddei, I., Bernabei, L., Massullo, C., Prevete, E., Tarsitani, L., Pasquini, M., Farina, B., Biondi, M., & Bersani, F. S. (2021). The association between social media addiction and eating disturbances is mediated by muscle dysmorphia-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study in a sample of young adults. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-021-01232-2

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title = "The association between social media addiction and eating disturbances is mediated by muscle dysmorphia-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study in a sample of young adults",

abstract = "PURPOSE: Although the association between problematic use of the internet and eating disorders (EDs) in young adults has been previously established, its underlying mechanisms have not been completely clarified. It has been suggested that exposure to idealized very thin and toned body images (e.g., {"}thinspiration{"} and {"}fitspiration{"} trends) on social media might lead to increased feelings of body dissatisfaction which, in turn, can represent a trigger for EDs. We have tested this hypothesis in a sample (N = 721) of young adults (504 females, mean age: 24.13 ± 3.70 years; range 18-34).METHODS: Self-report measures investigating symptoms related to social media addiction (SMA), muscle dysmorphia (MD), and EDs were used. A mediational model analyzing the direct and indirect effects of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms through the mediating role of MD-related symptoms was performed controlling for confounding factors (e.g., socio-demographic variables, substances use, body mass index, psychopathological distress).RESULTS: The model showed that the total effect of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms was significant (B = 0.213; p = 0.022) and that this association was mediated by MD-related symptoms (B = 0.083; p = 0.021).DISCUSSION: Our findings support the possibility that MD-related symptoms play a relevant role in mediating the association between SMA severity and ED pathology.LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.",

author = "Claudio Imperatori and Angelo Panno and Carbone, {Giuseppe Alessio} and Ornella Corazza and Ines Taddei and Laura Bernabei and Chiara Massullo and Elisabeth Prevete and Lorenzo Tarsitani and Massimo Pasquini and Benedetto Farina and Massimo Biondi and Bersani, {Francesco Saverio}",

note = "{\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2021. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

day = "26",

doi = "10.1007/s40519-021-01232-2",

language = "English",

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Imperatori, C, Panno, A, Carbone, GA, Corazza, O, Taddei, I, Bernabei, L, Massullo, C, Prevete, E, Tarsitani, L, Pasquini, M, Farina, B, Biondi, M & Bersani, FS 2021, 'The association between social media addiction and eating disturbances is mediated by muscle dysmorphia-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study in a sample of young adults', Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity . https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-021-01232-2

The association between social media addiction and eating disturbances is mediated by muscle dysmorphia-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study in a sample of young adults. / Imperatori, Claudio; Panno, Angelo; Carbone, Giuseppe Alessio et al.
In: Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity , 26.06.2021.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - The association between social media addiction and eating disturbances is mediated by muscle dysmorphia-related symptoms

T2 - a cross-sectional study in a sample of young adults

AU - Imperatori, Claudio

AU - Panno, Angelo

AU - Carbone, Giuseppe Alessio

AU - Corazza, Ornella

AU - Taddei, Ines

AU - Bernabei, Laura

AU - Massullo, Chiara

AU - Prevete, Elisabeth

AU - Tarsitani, Lorenzo

AU - Pasquini, Massimo

AU - Farina, Benedetto

AU - Biondi, Massimo

AU - Bersani, Francesco Saverio

N1 - © The Author(s) 2021. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

PY - 2021/6/26

Y1 - 2021/6/26

N2 - PURPOSE: Although the association between problematic use of the internet and eating disorders (EDs) in young adults has been previously established, its underlying mechanisms have not been completely clarified. It has been suggested that exposure to idealized very thin and toned body images (e.g., "thinspiration" and "fitspiration" trends) on social media might lead to increased feelings of body dissatisfaction which, in turn, can represent a trigger for EDs. We have tested this hypothesis in a sample (N = 721) of young adults (504 females, mean age: 24.13 ± 3.70 years; range 18-34).METHODS: Self-report measures investigating symptoms related to social media addiction (SMA), muscle dysmorphia (MD), and EDs were used. A mediational model analyzing the direct and indirect effects of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms through the mediating role of MD-related symptoms was performed controlling for confounding factors (e.g., socio-demographic variables, substances use, body mass index, psychopathological distress).RESULTS: The model showed that the total effect of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms was significant (B = 0.213; p = 0.022) and that this association was mediated by MD-related symptoms (B = 0.083; p = 0.021).DISCUSSION: Our findings support the possibility that MD-related symptoms play a relevant role in mediating the association between SMA severity and ED pathology.LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

AB - PURPOSE: Although the association between problematic use of the internet and eating disorders (EDs) in young adults has been previously established, its underlying mechanisms have not been completely clarified. It has been suggested that exposure to idealized very thin and toned body images (e.g., "thinspiration" and "fitspiration" trends) on social media might lead to increased feelings of body dissatisfaction which, in turn, can represent a trigger for EDs. We have tested this hypothesis in a sample (N = 721) of young adults (504 females, mean age: 24.13 ± 3.70 years; range 18-34).METHODS: Self-report measures investigating symptoms related to social media addiction (SMA), muscle dysmorphia (MD), and EDs were used. A mediational model analyzing the direct and indirect effects of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms through the mediating role of MD-related symptoms was performed controlling for confounding factors (e.g., socio-demographic variables, substances use, body mass index, psychopathological distress).RESULTS: The model showed that the total effect of SMA-related symptoms on ED-related symptoms was significant (B = 0.213; p = 0.022) and that this association was mediated by MD-related symptoms (B = 0.083; p = 0.021).DISCUSSION: Our findings support the possibility that MD-related symptoms play a relevant role in mediating the association between SMA severity and ED pathology.LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

U2 - 10.1007/s40519-021-01232-2

DO - 10.1007/s40519-021-01232-2

M3 - Article

C2 - 34176075

SN - 1124-4909

JO - Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity

JF - Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity

ER -

Imperatori C, Panno A, Carbone GA, Corazza O, Taddei I, Bernabei L et al. The association between social media addiction and eating disturbances is mediated by muscle dysmorphia-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study in a sample of young adults. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity . 2021 Jun 26. Epub 2021 Jun 26. doi: 10.1007/s40519-021-01232-2

The association between social media addiction and eating disturbances is mediated by muscle dysmorphia-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study in a sample of young adults

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