( 2020), a pathway by which the current pandemic could increase eating disorders risk and symptoms is through an increased consumption of media (particularly social media) due to social distancing measures. These positive outcomes might be related with the socioeconomic status of participants, reflecting that those with higher social privilege have incurred fewer financial pressures, and this might have facilitated engagement with self-care, recovery strategies, and social support (Schneider et al., 2022).Īccording to Rodgers et al. According to a recent systematic review (Schneider et al., 2022), several studies show a negative influence of the pandemic on body image and disordered eating, but conversely, other studies report positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic, including reduction in eating disorder symptomatology, more time to reflect on recovery and engage in self-care, greater motivation to recover, and more time to connect with family. It has been suggested that the pandemic increased the prevalence of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, distress, and insomnia (Jin et al., 2021 Wu et al., 2021).Įating habits, appearance concerns, eating disorder risk, and disordered eating might have also worsened with the pandemic (e.g., Linardon et al., 2022 Robertson et al., 2021 Touyz et al., 2020 Vall-Roqué et al., 2021a Weissman et al., 2020). Since the outbreak of the pandemic, several researchers and clinicians have expressed concern about its impact on mental health (World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, 2022). Six waves of coronavirus infections have been reported in Spain since the beginning of the pandemic until May 2022. However, some health and social measures lasted for more than 1 year or are still in place at the time of writing this article (e.g., wearing a face mask in some indoor spaces and public transport). After the initial 6 weeks, restrictions were gradually lifted. All nonessential work activity was suspended, and the population was mandated to remain at home. In Spain, on March 14, 2020, a state of emergency was declared, placing the entire country in lockdown. The rapid spread of the virus across the world resulted in several governments implementing drastic health measures, including lockdowns, physical distancing, closure of nonessential services, and travel restrictions (Castex et al., 2021). The emergence of the highly infectious coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has posed a significant threat to global health. More research is needed to explore the impact of the pandemic. Instagram frequency of use, and the percentage of women following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram, do not seem to have significantly increased. However, this increase might not be as clear for those who had eating disorder risk before the pandemic. This study suggests that women's body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons have increased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The experiences of individuals with eating disorder risk throughout the pandemic, and the relationship between the pandemic and Instagram use, might be complex and need further research. ![]() ![]() ![]() Women's body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons seem to have increased throughout the pandemic. ![]() No significant differences were found in body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons depending on whether participants' frequency of Instagram use had changed or remained the same, or whether they had started/stopped/continued following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram during the pandemic. These increases were not found to be significant for those with eating disorder risk. Body dissatisfaction significantly increased from T1 to T4, and physical appearance comparisons significantly increased from T1 to T2, T3, and T4. No statistically significant changes were found in the frequency of Instagram use, nor on the proportion of women following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram, among the data collection periods. Body dissatisfaction, social appearance comparisons, and Instagram use were assessed using the Eating Disorders Inventory-3, the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised, and an ad hoc questionnaire for Instagram use, respectively. MethodĪ total of 272 Spanish women (16–70 years old) were followed-up across four waves of assessment between November 2019 (before the pandemic started) and July 2021. This study aimed to determine the evolution of Instagram use, body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons throughout the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and to explore whether there was a relationship between the changes in Instagram use throughout the pandemic and body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons.
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