The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary evidence of potential efficacy of a social-media based intervention to reduce risk factors for eating disorders in college women.
Previous research supports an association between specific aspects of social media use and increased eating pathology in correlational designs and that specific aspects of social media use cause increases in risk factors for eating disorders. The aim of the current project is to determine whether social media use can be altered to cause decreases in eating disorder risk factors. To accomplish this, college women will be recruited to participate in an open trial of a pilot program that adapts activities used within evidence-based eating disorder prevention programs to be used on social media platforms. The intervention is designed to target internalization of the thin ideal.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
8
Participants will receive daily activities to complete on their most frequently used social media platform for 14 consecutive days. Daily activities have been adapted from the Body Project - an intervention that has been demonstrated to reduce internalization of the thin ideal and reduce risk for eating disorders. Examples of activities to be piloted include unfollowing social media accounts the participant perceives as reinforcing the thin-ideal and posting a selfie without makeup or editing. Based on feedback from participants, the intervention may be altered to improve acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary evidence of potential efficacy.
Florida State University Psychology Department
Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Acceptability of intervention
Acceptability will be evaluated with 7-point Likert scale ratings, with a score ≥5 indicating that participants found the intervention acceptable
Time frame: 2 weeks
Feasibility of intervention
Feasibility will be evaluated as the percentage of consented and enrolled participants who complete ≥10 of the 14 days of the intervention, with ≥80% indicating feasibility
Time frame: 2 weeks
Change in internalization of the thin ideal
The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire - 4 Revised (SATAQ-4R) Internalization Subscales will be used to measure internationalization of the thin ideal before and after the intervention. An effect size of d=.50 for within subject change in score will establish preliminary evidence of potential efficacy
Time frame: Pre-intervention assessment to post-intervention assessment (or approximately 14 days from baseline)
Change in body image concerns
The Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire Weight and Shape Concerns subscales adapted for the past 7 days will be used to measure change in body image before and after the intervention
Time frame: Pre-intervention assessment to post-intervention assessment (or approximately 14 days from baseline)
Change in dietary restraint
The Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire Dietary Restraint subscale adapted for the past 7 days will be used to measure change in dietary restraint before and after the intervention
Time frame: Pre-intervention assessment to post-intervention assessment (or approximately 14 days from baseline)
Change in bulimic symptoms
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The Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire Self-Reported Bulimic Symptom Composite Score adapted for the past 7 days will be used to measure change in bulimic symptom frequency before and after the intervention
Time frame: Pre-intervention assessment to post-intervention assessment (or approximately 14 days from baseline)
Change in disordered eating
The Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire Global Score adapted for the past 7 days will be used to measure change in disordered eating before and after the intervention
Time frame: Pre-intervention assessment to post-intervention assessment (or approximately 14 days from baseline)
Change in social media use
The Social Media Use Questionnaire items assessing frequency and type of engagement with social media will be used to measure change in social media use before and after the intervention
Time frame: Pre-intervention assessment to post-intervention assessment (or approximately 14 days from baseline)
Adherence to protocol - self-reported
The Social Media Use Questionnaire items assessing adherence to daily social media activities will be used to measure self-reported adherence after the intervention
Time frame: 2 weeks
Adherence to protocol - observed
With participant consent, a research assistant will follow the social media account the participant plans to use for the SOMEBODY intervention and will complete a checklist on a daily basis (yes/no) on whether or not the participant completed the daily assignment
Time frame: Daily for the 14 days of the intervention