The impact of social media and family attitudes on the body image and eating patterns of male and female students

Abstract

Background Body image has gained increasing importance in recent times due to the fact that it is commonly recognized that having body dissatisfaction is a major indicator of eating disorders. The development of dissatisfaction with the body can often be attributed to perceived societal expectations and pressures to adhere to idealized appearance standards. The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between social media usage and family attitude influences on eating behavior and body image satisfaction in both male and female students. The design of this study was cross-sectional to collect data from 620 students in different faculties and academic disciplines within King Abdulaziz University. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire to measure the Eating Attitude Test, social media exposure, Body Shape Questionnaire, family influence scale, and body satisfaction. Results Among the participants, 41.1% of students are at risk of eating disorders, and 25.2% have marked concern with body shape. The correlational analysis identified significant correlations as eating disorder score demonstrated negative correlations with the Family Influences Scale, Body Shape Questionnaire, body satisfaction, and social media (r = 0.455, r = 0.388, r = 0.388, and r = 0.373, respectively) and positive correlations with the with body mass index (r = 0.166). The Family Influences Scale score displayed positive correlations with the body shape questionnaire (r = 0.487), body satisfaction (r = 0.487), and media (r = 0.582) and negative correlations with body mass index (r = 0.289). Conclusion The study highlighted the influential roles of both the media and family in shaping eating habits and body image satisfaction. Also, the results indicated that eating disorders and concerns related to the body are highly prevalent among students. Accordingly, parents and educators should identify the risks of media and eating disorders and encourage them in seeking therapy.