Social media use body dissatisfaction and eating disorder risk among college students in West Bengal India from a gender perspective

Social media use body dissatisfaction and eating disorder risk among college students in West Bengal India from a gender perspective | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Social media use body dissatisfaction and eating disorder risk among college students in West Bengal India from a gender perspective Asmita Gupta, Prakash Muthuperumal This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8579375/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Social media has intensified social comparison tendencies among the youth, with viral hashtags such as #fitspiration and #glowup, fuelling body dissatisfaction and guilt associated with food consumption. This dissatisfaction, in turn, can drive individuals towards extreme dieting behaviours and put them at risk of developing eating disorders that compromise both physical and mental health. Methods This study examined the impact of social media on body dissatisfaction and the risk of developing eating disorders among college students in West Bengal, India. An online questionnaire was circulated via social media platforms using purposive sampling. The Body Shape Questionnaire and Eating Attitudes Test were employed to assess body dissatisfaction and disordered eating patterns, respectively. Results Among 301 respondents, 12.3% demonstrated high risk for developing eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with photo editing practices and preoccupation with likes received on social media posts. Disordered eating behaviours were more common among women, particularly those engaged in photo editing or demonstrating heightened concern about social media validation. Awareness of viral social media challenges emerged as a significant predictor of both body dissatisfaction and eating disorder risk, with women showing greater vulnerability. Conclusion Social media exposure negatively influences body image perceptions and elevates the risk of disordered eating behaviours, with women experiencing disproportionate effects. These findings underscore the need for interventions addressing social media's impact on mental health. Future research should investigate rural-urban disparities in these patterns, while social media platforms could be utilised to promote body positivity and healthier body image narratives. Anorexia nervosa Body image dissatisfaction eating disorders social media Body image Figures Figure 1 Background The colloquialism “glow up,” popularized via social media metadata (hashtags), refers to a perceived significant physical transformation of an individual. [ 1 ] This trend typically involves sharing before-and-after photos on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram by influencers and the fitness and beauty industries, showcasing the transformed body that conforms to conventional beauty standards. [ 2 , 3 ] Although theoretically, the “glow-up” trend focuses on self-improvement, it often causes feelings of guilt, shame and a negative body image among individuals who perceive themselves as unable to fit such promoted aesthetic or beauty ideals. Such trends further escalate social comparison, ultimately leading to body dissatisfaction. [ 3 ] The psychological well-being is severely affected by a negative body image and is one of the major risk factors in developing eating disorders. [ 4 , 5 ] Body image is a multifaceted concept comprising cognitive, perceptual, affective, and behavioural components. [ 6 , 7 ] Body dissatisfaction refers to the prevailing negative attitude towards one’s body, arising from a perceived discrepancy between the actual physical appearance and the internalised ideal body image. [ 8 – 10 ] Eating disorders (EDs) are a group of conditions characterised by abnormal eating patterns and psychological disruptions that can lead to alterations in weight and societal interactions, thereby impacting an individual’s overall quality of life. [ 11 ] In the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) classification, the three most extensively studied and well-defined EDs are anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). Festinger’s social comparison theory states that people are inherently inclined to evaluate themselves and seek out standards for comparison. [ 12 ] Social media has now enabled social comparisons among both men and women alike, although women reportedly experience higher levels of body dissatisfaction compared to men. [ 13 ] While women are exposed to “size zero” body types that promote disordered eating patterns,men frequently experience the “Adonis complex”- characterised by the pursuit of a more muscular physique. [ 14 – 16 ] In an era where quantifiable social metrics (e.g., “likes”) serve as proxies for social validation, and the algorithm promotes unattainable body types through trends such as #thinspiration and #fitspiration, it is easy for consumers of social media to be trapped in this cycle. [ 17 , 18 ] Although some body-positive movements on these social media platforms encourage self-acceptance, the “glow up” culture predominantly revolves around weight loss programs and over-consumerism. [ 19 , 20 ] Given the widespread dissemination of such beauty ideals, the problems of eating disorders are no longer confined to the Western population. Body dissatisfaction and fat-phobic attitudes in the Indian population are now comparable to those observed in Western society. [ 21 ] A study reported that body image dissatisfaction (BID) was found to be as high as 83.9% among undergraduate students from a medical college in Bengaluru, India. [ 22 ] Specifically, students classified as obese exhibited a fourfold higher likelihood of developing BID compared to their underweight counterparts. [ 22 ] For decades, issues related to disordered eating in the Indian context have been under-addressed. Recent studies have revealed the internalisation of ideal body images and the prevalence of atypical eating disorders among college students in India. [ 23 , 24 ] A 2023 cross-sectional study from West Bengal revealed that 11.95% of adolescent girls engaged in disordered eating behaviours, while 15.84% of them regularly skipped meals. [ 25 ] A comparative study on body image dissatisfaction among adolescent girls in West Bengal showed a marked urban-rural difference, with the prevalence of 57.85% in the urban cohort as opposed to their rural peers. [ 26 ] The influence of social media trends on body dissatisfaction and the development of eating disorders, particularly in West Bengal, India, remains relatively underexplored. This study aims to assess the effect of social media on body dissatisfaction and the risk of the development of eating disorders among college students in West Bengal. By adopting a gendered lens approach, the research will determine how popular online trends differentially affect young men and women. The study seeks to raise awareness of the physical and psychological impact of viral social media trends and promote informed discussions on digital well-being and self-acceptance among the youth. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study design was employed to examine the association between social media use, body dis-satisfaction and disordered eating behaviours among college students. The study was conducted among college students in West Bengal, India. Data were collected using an online survey using Google forms and circulated through social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. The study population consisted of college students who were active users of social media. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling, students who consented to participate and completed the online consent after reading the information sheet were included in the study. The study population comprised students enrolled in colleges or universities in West Bengal, India, aged 18–30 years. Eligibility required exposure to at least one social media platform. Students were excluded if they were currently pregnant or had been pregnant within the preceding one year. Participants who were unable to understand English due to language barriers were also excluded. A questionnaire was developed to record the demographic profile and social media usage among the college students. The demographic data captured multiple variables of interest such as socioeconomic status, internet access means, stressors, and history of substance abuse, all of which have been associated with eating disorders in previous literature. [ 27 ] The questions pertaining to social media was employed to extract information regarding frequency of use and preference of image-based social media platforms; preference of nature of posts- text-based, image-based or video-based; use of editing apps or filters; social comparison based on posts; effect of likes and comments; use of food delivery applications; preferred body type and awareness of social media body image trends. Primary outcome variables were body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. Body dissatisfaction was assessed using Body shape questionnaire-16B (BSQ-16B) and disordered eating behaviour was assessed using the Eating attitude Test − 26 (EAT 26). The Eating Attitudes Test-26 was used to measure the risk of developing disordered eating based on attitudes, feelings, and behaviours related to eating, comprising 26 self-report questions. It has three subscales: Dieting, Bulimia and Food Preoccupation, and Oral Control. The reliability of EAT 26 is high (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90 for AN). The test-retest reliability of EAT 26 ranged from 0.84 to 0.89. Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ 16B) was used to evaluate body dissatisfaction and concern over body shape. It is a self-reported questionnaire that consists of 16 items and a six-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = never, and 6 = always. It has been established as a valid and reliable measure of body image dissatisfaction, which is shown to have good test-retest reliability of 0.88 and internal consistency of 0.95. To minimize information bias, standardized and validated instruments were used to assess disordered eating behaviours and body dissatisfaction. The use of an anonymous online survey was intended to reduce social desirability bias. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize socio-demographic characteristics, social media usage patterns, and all the outcome variables. Chi square tests were used to assess the association between social media use, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behaviours. Finally, individual effects on outcome variables were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 301 respondents were collected for this study. The socio-demographic characteristics are shown in Table 1 . Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of participants Characteristics n% Gender Men 14.60% Women 85.40% Education status Bachelor’s degree 78.70% Post graduate or higher degree 21.70% College type Government 64.10% Private 35.90% Marital status Unmarried 94.70% Married 5.30% Means of Internet access Mobile data pack 76.40% Wi-Fi 23.60% Family history Obesity 25.90% Thyroid 39.20% In stressful situation Feel better after eating food 68.20% Sleep gets affected 62.90% Substance abuse Alcohol consumption 21.90% Cigarette smoking 18.30% Societal pressure to lose weight 69.70% Personal history Menstrual disorders 70.40% The most prominent reasons for stress in participants of this study were education, health, and family issues. None of the women participants in the study were currently pregnant or had been pregnant in the past 12 months. The modal daily use of social media was 1–3 hours, with only 6% of participants reporting engagement for more than 6 hours, per day. YouTube (71.1%) and Instagram (67.4%) were the most popular image/video-based platforms chosen by the participants, followed by Facebook (47.5%) and Snapchat (22.6%). Figure 1 reflects the trends between body dissatisfaction and time spent on social media daily. Distribution of body dissatisfaction levels across categories of daily social media usage among college students. Higher proportions of no, mild, and moderate body dissatisfaction are observed in the 1–3 hours/day category, while marked body dissatisfaction increases notably among participants reporting 3–6 hours/day of social media use. Percentages represent cross-sectional distributions within each time-use category, connecting lines are shown for visual comparison only and do not indicate longitudinal trends or causal relationships. Participants preferred to upload image-based posts (86.7%) as compared to video-based (50.2%) and text-based (59.9%). Around 45% of the respondents usually reported taking 2 to 5 selfies before they were satisfied, whereas 20% opted to take 6 to 10 selfies. 14% chose to take up to 15 selfies. Among the viral body challenges trending in the past few years, the thigh gap challenge (24.3%) and the collarbone challenge (16.9%) were the most prevalent among the survey respondents. The characteristics related to social media use are mentioned in Table 2 . Table 2 Social media characteristics of the respondents Characteristics n (%) Posts on social media Edits photos before uploading 70.10% Uses filter while taking selfie 61.50% Concerned with likes on post 42.20% Affected by comments on post 40.20% Aware about viral body trends 40.90% Watches mukbang content 56.50% Comparison Participants who compare themselves to images posted by others online 50.50% Participants who compare themselves to celebrities or models online 26.90% Change in appearance Participants who would consider surgery/medical procedures to change how they look 2.70% Participants who search for weight loss content on social media 41.20% The prevalent levels of body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviour can be seen in Table 3 . Table 3 Body dissatisfaction and eating habits of participants Characteristics n (%) Body dissatisfaction 46.70% Mild level 29.90% Moderate 15% Marked 2% Eating disorder High risk participants 12.30% Engaged in binge eating in past 6 months 46.20% Taken diet pills/laxatives to lose weight in past 6 months 14% Table 4 Association of social media characteristics with appearance/diet Characteristics Chi Square p value df Photo editing and body dissatisfaction level 8.754 0.033 0 Concern with the number of likes and body dissatisfaction level 37.734 0.001 15 Food delivery app usage and binge eating tendency 23.018 0.0001 1 Gender of the participant and exercising more than 60 minutes a day to lose weight 9.435 0.002 1 Pressure from social media to look in a better shape and body dissatisfaction level among men 31.979 0.0001 3 Body dissatisfaction level and eating habits concern in mid-level socioeconomic strata 8.137 0.043 3 Body dissatisfaction level and eating habits concern among those who were stressed in the past month before the study was conducted 11.082 0.011 3 Number of selfies taken and concern with number of likes received on posts on social media platforms 65.296 0.0001 1 Number of selfies taken and the gender of the participant 4.952 0.026 1 Number of selfies taken and editing photos before uploading them on social media 45.189 0.0001 1 Using a filter while taking a selfie and editing photos before uploading them on social media 69.883 0.0001 1 Body dissatisfaction level and dieting habits among those who were stressed in the past month before the study was conducted 13.149 0.041 6 Selfies taken and preference of posts on social media platforms among those who are satisfied while looking at the mirror 57.919 0.0001 2 Body dissatisfaction level and eating habits concern among those who did not indulge in binge eating in the past 6 months 13.417 0.004 3 The study found that one in every two respondents was suffering from negative body image. Furthermore, one in every eight respondents had a higher propensity to develop disordered eating patterns. The Chi-square test found a significant association between body dissatisfaction level and concern with eating patterns (p = 0.034). Those who usually indulged in photo editing practices were found to have an association with being concerned with one’s body shape (p = 0.033) along with people affected by likes on a post (p = 0.001) as shown in Table 4 . Those participants who took a greater number of selfies showed a significant association with having greater concern for likes received on their social media posts (p = 0.000). Those preferring to take more selfies revealed a significant association with gender (p = 0.026), searching for fitness content online (p = 0.001), preference of the type of posts i.e., whether text-based, image-based or video-based (p = 0.000) and inclination to edit posts before uploading (p = 0.000). The habit of editing photos before uploading on social media platforms was found to have a significant association with using filters while taking selfies (p = 0.000). Body dissatisfaction levels demonstrated a significant association with the pressure to look in a better shape (p = 0.000) and exercising more than 60 minutes a day to lose weight. (p = 0.037). Body dissatisfaction and eating habits exhibited a significant association among those concerned with likes on posts(p = 0.028), the tendency to search for weight loss content (p = 0.019) and those aware of viral body trends or challenges (p = 0.041). Following a similar pattern, body dissatisfaction and dieting habits revealed a significant association among those concerned with likes (p = 0.037) and those searching for weight loss content on social media (p = 0.028). Watching mukbang content on social media showed a significant association with binge eating tendencies (p = 0.033). Women were found to have a significant association with body image concern and concern with eating habits (p = 0.036). The women concerned with likes received on social media posts showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and eating habits (p = 0.048). Women who experience societal pressure to change their appearance also showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and eating disorders (p = 0.09). No such association could be observed in men. The women affected by the number of likes received on social media posts displayed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and dieting habits (p = 0.029). A similar association between body dissatisfaction and eating habits was found in women who searched for weight loss content on social media (p = 0.041). Interestingly, men who do not search for weight loss content online showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and dieting habits (p = 0.041). Women showed a significant association between pressure from social media to change appearance and body dissatisfaction levels when compared to men (p = 0.0001). A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to ascertain the risk factors that are associated with disordered eating behaviour across three distinct models. The variables examined included gender, level of body dissatisfaction, nature of participants' posts, frequency of utilising food delivery applications, recent stress levels, photo editing habits, engagement in fitness and weight loss content, socioeconomic status, selfie-taking habits, awareness of viral trends or challenges, societal pressure regarding weight loss, propensity to seek solace in eating during stressful situations, degree of social media presence, and concern for likes received on posts as shown in Table 5 . Table 5 Binary Logistic Regression Analysis Variable Exp(B) p-value C.I. Upper Lower Constant 0.003 0.000 Gender 5.087 0.033 1.140 22.69 Body dissatisfaction 11.427 0.041 1.099 118.831 Preference to upload image-based posts 4.745 0.037 1.1 20.465 Preference to eat food when stressed 0.305 0.174 0.055 1.692 Awareness of viral trends 2.58 0.059 0.964 6.905 Frequency of using food delivery apps 14.495 0.001 3.031 69.326 Pressure from surrounding to lose weight 3.061 0.285 0.393 23.835 Concern with likes received on posts 2.41 0.065 0.946 6.136 In the first model encompassing both genders, it was observed that women exhibited a 5.087 times greater likelihood of being predisposed to disordered eating behaviour compared to men. Individuals with high levels of body dissatisfaction exhibited an 11.427-fold increased risk compared to those without such dissatisfaction levels. Additionally, participants who preferred image-centric posts were 4.745 times more likely to experience disordered eating behaviours. Furthermore, frequent users of food delivery applications demonstrated a 14.495-fold greater likelihood of developing disordered eating behaviours. The results of the regression analysis delineating disordered eating behaviour as the dependent variable, are depicted in Table 5 . Two individual binary logistic regression models were constructed, one for men and another for women, aiming to discern potential risk factors associated with disordered eating behaviour. While the analysis did not yield statistically significant findings for men, noteworthy results were obtained for women. Notably, women exhibiting pronounced levels of body dissatisfaction were found to be 27.426 times more inclined to develop eating disorders compared to their counterparts without such dissatisfaction levels. Moreover, women who demonstrated awareness of viral body challenges circulating online exhibited a 5.556 times heightened risk in comparison to those lacking such awareness. Additionally, frequent utilisation of food delivery applications emerged as a significant predictor of disordered eating behaviour among women, with an odds ratio of 49.593. Furthermore, women expressing concern regarding likes received on their social media posts were identified as being 3.053 times more predisposed to disordered eating behaviour than those who did not exhibit such concern. Discussion This study examind the influence of social media on body dissatisfaction and the potential risk of developing eating disorders among college students in West Bengal, India. The findings revealed that approximately 12.3% of the participants were identified as having a higher risk of developing eating disorders. A recent study in Chennai showed that 13% of medical students were at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder. [ 27 ] While self-reported questionnaires cannot be used to diagnose eating disorders, but they serve as an important screening tools to identify individuals who may be at risk and warrant further evaluation. This study shows that body dissatisfaction and eating disorders are significantly associated with one another in the presence of social media. It strengthens the findings from prior literature around the world. [ 29 , 31 ] The study found a significant relationship between body dissatisfaction levels and concerns about eating habits among those preoccupied with the number of likes received on social media posts. Gender specific differences were clear in the associations observed. Among women, participants displayed a significant association between body dissatisfaction levels and disordered eating behaviour among those concerned with likes on a post and experiencing pressure from social media to change how they look. These findings are consistent with earlier research conducted in India which examined the influence of traditional media on youth. [ 32 ] Additionally, women who actively looking for fitness related contents showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and dietary behaviours, further underscoring their vulnerability to appearance focused social media content. Engagement in appearance-based comparison did not anticipate the decline in body satisfaction, following the viewing of bare-chested and muscular models among men. Therefore, the impact of comparison on men's body dissatisfaction might not be as pronounced. [ 33 ] In contrast, among men, the impact of likes, searching for fitness content and pressure from social media did not show a significant association between body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in this study. Interestingly, the study revealed that body dissatisfaction and dieting habits were significantly associated with women who searched for fitness content, as opposed to men, similar to this study findings. [ 33 ] The difference could potentially be attributed to men being more exposed to fitness content featuring women, which might result in a lesser extent of body dissatisfaction compared to women. [ 34 ] It would be essential to acknowledge that the algorithms on social media platforms can be vastly different between the genders. Thinspiration challenges and pro-anorexia content are more prominently featured on TikTok, appealing to younger audiences. During a compilation of TikTok’s hashtags, a large proportion of them were found to promote “pro-anorexia” content. [ 35 ] A majority of the views on the hashtags related to disordered eating behaviour were found to be generated by people below the age of 24. [ 35 ] On Instagram, the predominance of white men in the more popular posts stands in contrast to the relatively balanced ethnic composition of Instagram's user base, potentially exacerbating body dissatisfaction among ethnic groups, such as Indian men, who may face pressures to conform to Western beauty standards. [ 36 ] In this study, men who did not actively searching for fitness and weight loss content on social media showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and dieting levels. This findings may reflect underlying concerns related to muscular dysmorphia, where they aspire to become more muscular instead of favouring a slender physique, as demonstrated by a study done in Australia. [ 37 ] It is important to consider broader social media environment when interpreting these findings. Social media algorithms may differentially curate content based on gender, potentially influencing exposure patterns. For example thinspiration challenges and pre-anorexia content were more prominently featured on platforms such as Tiktok, which predominantly attract young users. A substantial proportion of hashtags promoting disordered eating behavious have been shown to generate views largely from individuals below the age of 24 [ 35 ]. On instagram, the predominance of western beauty ideals in popular posts may further extrapolate body dissatisfaction among ethnic groups, including indian men, who may feel pressured to conform to these standards.[ 36 ] The novelty of this study is that it attempts to explore the influence of social media trends on body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating habits through a gendered lens in an Indian context, particularly in the state of West Bengal, where such analysis are limited. Understanding how men and women might internalise and interpret societal standards of beauty differently is crucial for gaining a comprehensive understanding of body image issues and potential risk factors for developing body dissatisfaction or related disorders. There are a few limitations to this study. Since this was a study on the influence of social media, an online questionnaire was circulated to the students in colleges of West Bengal. Women respondents in this study, were much higher in comparison to men, simply owing to their increased baseline exposure and usage to social media content. Additionally, as the study employs a cross-sectional design, a causal relationship between social media trends and individuals' perceptions of body shape cannot be established. Conclusion This study demonstrates a significant association between social media engagement and body dissatisfaction, and the risk of disordered eating among college students particularly evident among female participants. Elevated levels of body dissatisfaction were found to coincide with behaviours that increase the susceptibility to disordered eating patterns. Notably, the influence of social media platforms was implicated in exacerbating negative body image perceptions, particularly within the demographic of young women. The findings highlight body dissatisfaction as a key intermediary linking social media engagement to disordered eating behaviours. Gender specific patterns were evident. Among women there is a greater concern about social media validation metrics, such as likes, perceived pressure to change their appearance, and active engagement with fitness related content were significantly associated with higher levels of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. In contrast these associations were minimal or insignificant among men, suggesting different pathways through which social media influences body image and eating related behaviours. These differences may reflect different socio cultural ideals of attractiveness and algorithm driven content exposure across genders. Future investigations should prioritise the development and implementation of strategies that are aimed at cultivating positive body image perceptions and fostering healthy eating habits through the strategic design of social media platforms. A comparative analysis between rural-urban women regarding social media influence on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviour can capture the wide spectrum of perspectives from a socio-geographic perspective. Assessment of muscularity dissatisfaction in men can provide a more comprehensive understanding of how men perceive their bodies in the context of societal beauty standards. Effective interventions require evidence-based research, including longitudinal studies, to explore the diverse factors influencing these trends. Integrating media literacy, mental health screening and platform level awareness strategies within higher education institutes settings may help mitigate adverse effects of social media on young adults. The focus should be on body positivity, self-acceptance, and healthy habits to promote overall well-being. Declarations Funding The authors did not receive support from any organisation for the submitted work. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SRMIST, Kattankulathur for bearing the defrayed costs of publishing this article Conflicts of Interest The authors have no financial or non-financial interests to disclose. Ethical approval and informed consent This study involved human participants. An ethical approval was sought from the institutional ethics committee. The IEC reference number is 0023/IEC/2023. Information regarding the purpose of the study and the benefits and participants' rights was made known to the participants and written informed consent was obtained from each participant. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations, including the ethical standards of the institutional ethics committee and the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Data availability statement The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to institutional policy restricting data sharing. This policy ensures compliance with ethical guidelines and data protection regulations. However, we are committed to promoting transparency and reproducibility in research. Therefore, upon reasonable request, the corresponding author (P.M.) can provide access to the data, subject to approval by the institution . 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Links between viewing fitspiration posts, muscular-ideal internalisation, appearance comparisons, body satisfaction, and exercise motivation in men. New Media Soc. 2019 June;21(6):1311–25. TikTok slammed for. ‘doing nothing’ over pro-anorexia content by Center for Countering Digital Hate. The Daily Beast [Internet]. [cited 2023 Sep 18]. Available from: https://www.thedailybeast.com/tiktok-slammed-for-doing-nothing-over-pro-anorexia-content-by-center-for-countering-digital-hate Gültzow T, Guidry JPD, Schneider F, Hoving C. Male Body Image Portrayals on Instagram. Cyberpsychology. Behav Social Netw. 2020;23(5):281–9. Yee ZW, Griffiths S, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, Blake K, Richardson B, Krug I. The differential impact of viewing fitspiration and thinspiration images on men’s body image concerns: An experimental ecological momentary assessment study. Body Image. 2020;35:96–107. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8579375","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":585923819,"identity":"dbef9e1a-7ff7-4806-8480-d868e83d02ae","order_by":0,"name":"Asmita Gupta","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"SRM Institute of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Asmita","middleName":"","lastName":"Gupta","suffix":""},{"id":585923820,"identity":"4f5dea5e-dd90-4123-9c2d-61435d79eae5","order_by":1,"name":"Prakash Muthuperumal","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA90lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACZiA+wMDP3gCkDcAiBjAGfi2SPQfAiiWI12IwIwHMk2AgpN5c+vBjgx9/7kQbSD5/9ulGQV0dA3vzNgmGgjs4tVj2pRkn9rY9y90unWM8O8fgsAQDz7EyCQaDZzi1GJxhMD7A23A4d+fsHGbmHIMDEgwSOWZALYfxaGH/fPDPn8O5G24efwzUUifBIP+GkBYe42QeNqCWGwzGQC3MQFt48Gux7OEpNpZtO5w7sycHpOWwZBtPWrFFAh4t5jzsmyXfAB3Wzw5y2J86fn72wxtvfPiDx2EYImwgIgGnBkKxNgpGwSgYBaMABADphlIE07ab1wAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"SRM Institute of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Prakash","middleName":"","lastName":"Muthuperumal","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-12 08:53:07","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8579375/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8579375/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102180607,"identity":"f5109ccd-865e-4eef-87b5-ed00693bd428","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-09 07:13:18","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":67106,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eDistribution of body dissatisfaction levels across categories of time spent online\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8579375/v1/09cc24bf47455735014d212f.png"},{"id":104874278,"identity":"37d16aa1-55a5-4944-b37e-d4aaf7876514","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-18 08:29:43","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":760142,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8579375/v1/e6e42013-270a-4aaa-8970-db3a2ad9abc8.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Social media use body dissatisfaction and eating disorder risk among college students in West Bengal India from a gender perspective","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe colloquialism \u0026ldquo;glow up,\u0026rdquo; popularized via social media metadata (hashtags), refers to a perceived significant physical transformation of an individual. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e] This trend typically involves sharing before-and-after photos on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram by influencers and the fitness and beauty industries, showcasing the transformed body that conforms to conventional beauty standards. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e] Although theoretically, the \u0026ldquo;glow-up\u0026rdquo; trend focuses on self-improvement, it often causes feelings of guilt, shame and a negative body image among individuals who perceive themselves as unable to fit such promoted aesthetic or beauty ideals. Such trends further escalate social comparison, ultimately leading to body dissatisfaction. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e] The psychological well-being is severely affected by a negative body image and is one of the major risk factors in developing eating disorders. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBody image is a multifaceted concept comprising cognitive, perceptual, affective, and behavioural components. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e] Body dissatisfaction refers to the prevailing negative attitude towards one\u0026rsquo;s body, arising from a perceived discrepancy between the actual physical appearance and the internalised ideal body image. [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR9\" citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e] Eating disorders (EDs) are a group of conditions characterised by abnormal eating patterns and psychological disruptions that can lead to alterations in weight and societal interactions, thereby impacting an individual\u0026rsquo;s overall quality of life. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e] In the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) classification, the three most extensively studied and well-defined EDs are anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). Festinger\u0026rsquo;s social comparison theory states that people are inherently inclined to evaluate themselves and seek out standards for comparison. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e] Social media has now enabled social comparisons among both men and women alike, although women reportedly experience higher levels of body dissatisfaction compared to men. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e] While women are exposed to \u0026ldquo;size zero\u0026rdquo; body types that promote disordered eating patterns,men frequently experience the \u0026ldquo;Adonis complex\u0026rdquo;- characterised by the pursuit of a more muscular physique. [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR15\" citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn an era where quantifiable social metrics (e.g., \u0026ldquo;likes\u0026rdquo;) serve as proxies for social validation, and the algorithm promotes unattainable body types through trends such as #thinspiration and #fitspiration, it is easy for consumers of social media to be trapped in this cycle. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e] Although some body-positive movements on these social media platforms encourage self-acceptance, the \u0026ldquo;glow up\u0026rdquo; culture predominantly revolves around weight loss programs and over-consumerism. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e] Given the widespread dissemination of such beauty ideals, the problems of eating disorders are no longer confined to the Western population. Body dissatisfaction and fat-phobic attitudes in the Indian population are now comparable to those observed in Western society. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e] A study reported that body image dissatisfaction (BID) was found to be as high as 83.9% among undergraduate students from a medical college in Bengaluru, India. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e] Specifically, students classified as obese exhibited a fourfold higher likelihood of developing BID compared to their underweight counterparts. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor decades, issues related to disordered eating in the Indian context have been under-addressed. Recent studies have revealed the internalisation of ideal body images and the prevalence of atypical eating disorders among college students in India. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e] A 2023 cross-sectional study from West Bengal revealed that 11.95% of adolescent girls engaged in disordered eating behaviours, while 15.84% of them regularly skipped meals. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e] A comparative study on body image dissatisfaction among adolescent girls in West Bengal showed a marked urban-rural difference, with the prevalence of 57.85% in the urban cohort as opposed to their rural peers. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe influence of social media trends on body dissatisfaction and the development of eating disorders, particularly in West Bengal, India, remains relatively underexplored. This study aims to assess the effect of social media on body dissatisfaction and the risk of the development of eating disorders among college students in West Bengal. By adopting a gendered lens approach, the research will determine how popular online trends differentially affect young men and women. The study seeks to raise awareness of the physical and psychological impact of viral social media trends and promote informed discussions on digital well-being and self-acceptance among the youth.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eAn analytical cross-sectional study design was employed to examine the association between social media use, body dis-satisfaction and disordered eating behaviours among college students. The study was conducted among college students in West Bengal, India. Data were collected using an online survey using Google forms and circulated through social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. The study population consisted of college students who were active users of social media. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling, students who consented to participate and completed the online consent after reading the information sheet were included in the study. The study population comprised students enrolled in colleges or universities in West Bengal, India, aged 18\u0026ndash;30 years. Eligibility required exposure to at least one social media platform. Students were excluded if they were currently pregnant or had been pregnant within the preceding one year. Participants who were unable to understand English due to language barriers were also excluded.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA questionnaire was developed to record the demographic profile and social media usage among the college students. The demographic data captured multiple variables of interest such as socioeconomic status, internet access means, stressors, and history of substance abuse, all of which have been associated with eating disorders in previous literature. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e] The questions pertaining to social media was employed to extract information regarding frequency of use and preference of image-based social media platforms; preference of nature of posts- text-based, image-based or video-based; use of editing apps or filters; social comparison based on posts; effect of likes and comments; use of food delivery applications; preferred body type and awareness of social media body image trends. Primary outcome variables were body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. Body dissatisfaction was assessed using Body shape questionnaire-16B (BSQ-16B) and disordered eating behaviour was assessed using the Eating attitude Test \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;26 (EAT 26). The Eating Attitudes Test-26 was used to measure the risk of developing disordered eating based on attitudes, feelings, and behaviours related to eating, comprising 26 self-report questions. It has three subscales: Dieting, Bulimia and Food Preoccupation, and Oral Control. The reliability of EAT 26 is high (Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.90 for AN). The test-retest reliability of EAT 26 ranged from 0.84 to 0.89. Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ 16B) was used to evaluate body dissatisfaction and concern over body shape. It is a self-reported questionnaire that consists of 16 items and a six-point Likert scale ranging from 1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;never, and 6\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;always. It has been established as a valid and reliable measure of body image dissatisfaction, which is shown to have good test-retest reliability of 0.88 and internal consistency of 0.95.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo minimize information bias, standardized and validated instruments were used to assess disordered eating behaviours and body dissatisfaction. The use of an anonymous online survey was intended to reduce social desirability bias.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescriptive statistics were used to summarize socio-demographic characteristics, social media usage patterns, and all the outcome variables. Chi square tests were used to assess the association between social media use, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behaviours. Finally, individual effects on outcome variables were assessed using logistic regression analysis.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eA total of 301 respondents were collected for this study. The socio-demographic characteristics are shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocio-demographic characteristics of participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMen\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.60%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWomen\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85.40%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEducation status\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBachelor\u0026rsquo;s degree\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e78.70%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost graduate or higher degree\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.70%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCollege type\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGovernment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64.10%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.90%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarital status\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnmarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94.70%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.30%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeans of Internet access\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMobile data pack\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76.40%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWi-Fi\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.60%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFamily history\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eObesity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.90%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThyroid\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.20%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn stressful situation\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFeel better after eating food\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68.20%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSleep gets affected\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62.90%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSubstance abuse\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlcohol consumption\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.90%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCigarette smoking\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.30%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSocietal pressure\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eto lose weight\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69.70%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePersonal history\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMenstrual disorders\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70.40%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe most prominent reasons for stress in participants of this study were education, health, and family issues. None of the women participants in the study were currently pregnant or had been pregnant in the past 12 months. The modal daily use of social media was 1\u0026ndash;3 hours, with only 6% of participants reporting engagement for more than 6 hours, per day. YouTube (71.1%) and Instagram (67.4%) were the most popular image/video-based platforms chosen by the participants, followed by Facebook (47.5%) and Snapchat (22.6%). Figure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e reflects the trends between body dissatisfaction and time spent on social media daily.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDistribution of body dissatisfaction levels across categories of daily social media usage among college students. Higher proportions of no, mild, and moderate body dissatisfaction are observed in the 1\u0026ndash;3 hours/day category, while marked body dissatisfaction increases notably among participants reporting 3\u0026ndash;6 hours/day of social media use. Percentages represent cross-sectional distributions within each time-use category, connecting lines are shown for visual comparison only and do not indicate longitudinal trends or causal relationships.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants preferred to upload image-based posts (86.7%) as compared to video-based (50.2%) and text-based (59.9%). Around 45% of the respondents usually reported taking 2 to 5 selfies before they were satisfied, whereas 20% opted to take 6 to 10 selfies. 14% chose to take up to 15 selfies. Among the viral body challenges trending in the past few years, the thigh gap challenge (24.3%) and the collarbone challenge (16.9%) were the most prevalent among the survey respondents. The characteristics related to social media use are mentioned in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial media characteristics of the respondents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePosts on social media\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEdits photos before uploading\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70.10%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUses filter while taking selfie\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61.50%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcerned with likes on post\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42.20%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAffected by comments on post\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.20%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAware about viral body trends\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.90%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWatches mukbang content\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.50%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eComparison\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants who compare themselves to images posted by others online\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50.50%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants who compare themselves to celebrities or models online\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.90%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChange in appearance\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants who would consider surgery/medical procedures to change how they look\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.70%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants who search for weight loss content on social media\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.20%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe prevalent levels of body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviour can be seen in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBody dissatisfaction and eating habits of participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBody dissatisfaction\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46.70%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMild level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.90%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarked\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEating disorder\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh risk participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.30%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEngaged in binge eating in past 6 months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46.20%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTaken diet pills/laxatives to lose weight in past 6 months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssociation of social media characteristics with appearance/diet\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChi Square\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhoto editing and body dissatisfaction level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.754\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.033\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcern with the number of likes and body dissatisfaction level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.734\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFood delivery app usage and binge eating tendency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.018\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.0001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender of the participant and exercising more than 60 minutes a day to lose weight\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.435\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePressure from social media to look in a better shape and body dissatisfaction level among men\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.979\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.0001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBody dissatisfaction level and eating habits concern in mid-level socioeconomic strata\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.137\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.043\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBody dissatisfaction level and eating habits concern among those who were stressed in the past month before the study was conducted\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.082\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of selfies taken and concern with number of likes received on posts on social media platforms\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.296\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.0001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of selfies taken and the gender of the participant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.952\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.026\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of selfies taken and editing photos before uploading them on social media\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.189\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.0001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUsing a filter while taking a selfie and editing photos before uploading them on social media\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69.883\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.0001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBody dissatisfaction level and dieting habits among those who were stressed in the past month before the study was conducted\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.149\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.041\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelfies taken and preference of posts on social media platforms among those who are satisfied while looking at the mirror\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.919\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.0001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBody dissatisfaction level and eating habits concern among those who did not indulge in binge eating in the past 6 months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.417\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study found that one in every two respondents was suffering from negative body image. Furthermore, one in every eight respondents had a higher propensity to develop disordered eating patterns.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Chi-square test found a significant association between body dissatisfaction level and concern with eating patterns (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.034). Those who usually indulged in photo editing practices were found to have an association with being concerned with one\u0026rsquo;s body shape (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.033) along with people affected by likes on a post (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.001) as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThose participants who took a greater number of selfies showed a significant association with having greater concern for likes received on their social media posts (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000). Those preferring to take more selfies revealed a significant association with gender (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.026), searching for fitness content online (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.001), preference of the type of posts i.e., whether text-based, image-based or video-based (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) and inclination to edit posts before uploading (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000). The habit of editing photos before uploading on social media platforms was found to have a significant association with using filters while taking selfies (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBody dissatisfaction levels demonstrated a significant association with the pressure to look in a better shape (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) and exercising more than 60 minutes a day to lose weight. (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.037). Body dissatisfaction and eating habits exhibited a significant association among those concerned with likes on posts(p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.028), the tendency to search for weight loss content (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.019) and those aware of viral body trends or challenges (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.041). Following a similar pattern, body dissatisfaction and dieting habits revealed a significant association among those concerned with likes (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.037) and those searching for weight loss content on social media (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.028). Watching mukbang content on social media showed a significant association with binge eating tendencies (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.033).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWomen were found to have a significant association with body image concern and concern with eating habits (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.036). The women concerned with likes received on social media posts showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and eating habits (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.048). Women who experience societal pressure to change their appearance also showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and eating disorders (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.09). No such association could be observed in men. The women affected by the number of likes received on social media posts displayed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and dieting habits (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.029). A similar association between body dissatisfaction and eating habits was found in women who searched for weight loss content on social media (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.041). Interestingly, men who do not search for weight loss content online showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and dieting habits (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.041). Women showed a significant association between pressure from social media to change appearance and body dissatisfaction levels when compared to men (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0001).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA binary logistic regression analysis was performed to ascertain the risk factors that are associated with disordered eating behaviour across three distinct models. The variables examined included gender, level of body dissatisfaction, nature of participants' posts, frequency of utilising food delivery applications, recent stress levels, photo editing habits, engagement in fitness and weight loss content, socioeconomic status, selfie-taking habits, awareness of viral trends or challenges, societal pressure regarding weight loss, propensity to seek solace in eating during stressful situations, degree of social media presence, and concern for likes received on posts as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBinary Logistic Regression Analysis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExp(B)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eC.I.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUpper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLower\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConstant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.087\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.033\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.140\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBody dissatisfaction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.427\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.041\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.099\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e118.831\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreference to upload image-based posts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.745\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.037\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.465\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreference to eat food when stressed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.305\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.174\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.055\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.692\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwareness of viral trends\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.059\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.964\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.905\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency of using food delivery apps\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.495\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.031\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69.326\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePressure from surrounding to lose weight\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.061\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.285\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.393\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.835\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcern with likes received on posts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.065\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.946\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.136\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the first model encompassing both genders, it was observed that women exhibited a 5.087 times greater likelihood of being predisposed to disordered eating behaviour compared to men. Individuals with high levels of body dissatisfaction exhibited an 11.427-fold increased risk compared to those without such dissatisfaction levels. Additionally, participants who preferred image-centric posts were 4.745 times more likely to experience disordered eating behaviours. Furthermore, frequent users of food delivery applications demonstrated a 14.495-fold greater likelihood of developing disordered eating behaviours. The results of the regression analysis delineating disordered eating behaviour as the dependent variable, are depicted in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTwo individual binary logistic regression models were constructed, one for men and another for women, aiming to discern potential risk factors associated with disordered eating behaviour. While the analysis did not yield statistically significant findings for men, noteworthy results were obtained for women. Notably, women exhibiting pronounced levels of body dissatisfaction were found to be 27.426 times more inclined to develop eating disorders compared to their counterparts without such dissatisfaction levels. Moreover, women who demonstrated awareness of viral body challenges circulating online exhibited a 5.556 times heightened risk in comparison to those lacking such awareness. Additionally, frequent utilisation of food delivery applications emerged as a significant predictor of disordered eating behaviour among women, with an odds ratio of 49.593. Furthermore, women expressing concern regarding likes received on their social media posts were identified as being 3.053 times more predisposed to disordered eating behaviour than those who did not exhibit such concern.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study examind the influence of social media on body dissatisfaction and the potential risk of developing eating disorders among college students in West Bengal, India. The findings revealed that approximately 12.3% of the participants were identified as having a higher risk of developing eating disorders. A recent study in Chennai showed that 13% of medical students were at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e] While self-reported questionnaires cannot be used to diagnose eating disorders, but they serve as an important screening tools to identify individuals who may be at risk and warrant further evaluation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study shows that body dissatisfaction and eating disorders are significantly associated with one another in the presence of social media. It strengthens the findings from prior literature around the world. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e] The study found a significant relationship between body dissatisfaction levels and concerns about eating habits among those preoccupied with the number of likes received on social media posts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender specific differences were clear in the associations observed. Among women, participants displayed a significant association between body dissatisfaction levels and disordered eating behaviour among those concerned with likes on a post and experiencing pressure from social media to change how they look. These findings are consistent with earlier research conducted in India which examined the influence of traditional media on youth. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e] Additionally, women who actively looking for fitness related contents showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and dietary behaviours, further underscoring their vulnerability to appearance focused social media content.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEngagement in appearance-based comparison did not anticipate the decline in body satisfaction, following the viewing of bare-chested and muscular models among men. Therefore, the impact of comparison on men's body dissatisfaction might not be as pronounced. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e] In contrast, among men, the impact of likes, searching for fitness content and pressure from social media did not show a significant association between body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in this study. Interestingly, the study revealed that body dissatisfaction and dieting habits were significantly associated with women who searched for fitness content, as opposed to men, similar to this study findings. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e] The difference could potentially be attributed to men being more exposed to fitness content featuring women, which might result in a lesser extent of body dissatisfaction compared to women. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt would be essential to acknowledge that the algorithms on social media platforms can be vastly different between the genders. Thinspiration challenges and pro-anorexia content are more prominently featured on TikTok, appealing to younger audiences. During a compilation of TikTok\u0026rsquo;s hashtags, a large proportion of them were found to promote \u0026ldquo;pro-anorexia\u0026rdquo; content. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e] A majority of the views on the hashtags related to disordered eating behaviour were found to be generated by people below the age of 24. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e] On Instagram, the predominance of white men in the more popular posts stands in contrast to the relatively balanced ethnic composition of Instagram's user base, potentially exacerbating body dissatisfaction among ethnic groups, such as Indian men, who may face pressures to conform to Western beauty standards. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e] In this study, men who did not actively searching for fitness and weight loss content on social media showed a significant association between body dissatisfaction and dieting levels. This findings may reflect underlying concerns related to muscular dysmorphia, where they aspire to become more muscular instead of favouring a slender physique, as demonstrated by a study done in Australia. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is important to consider broader social media environment when interpreting these findings. Social media algorithms may differentially curate content based on gender, potentially influencing exposure patterns. For example thinspiration challenges and pre-anorexia content were more prominently featured on platforms such as Tiktok, which predominantly attract young users. A substantial proportion of hashtags promoting disordered eating behavious have been shown to generate views largely from individuals below the age of 24 [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]. On instagram, the predominance of western beauty ideals in popular posts may further extrapolate body dissatisfaction among ethnic groups, including indian men, who may feel pressured to conform to these standards.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe novelty of this study is that it attempts to explore the influence of social media trends on body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating habits through a gendered lens in an Indian context, particularly in the state of West Bengal, where such analysis are limited. Understanding how men and women might internalise and interpret societal standards of beauty differently is crucial for gaining a comprehensive understanding of body image issues and potential risk factors for developing body dissatisfaction or related disorders. There are a few limitations to this study. Since this was a study on the influence of social media, an online questionnaire was circulated to the students in colleges of West Bengal. Women respondents in this study, were much higher in comparison to men, simply owing to their increased baseline exposure and usage to social media content. Additionally, as the study employs a cross-sectional design, a causal relationship between social media trends and individuals' perceptions of body shape cannot be established.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study demonstrates a significant association between social media engagement and body dissatisfaction, and the risk of disordered eating among college students particularly evident among female participants. Elevated levels of body dissatisfaction were found to coincide with behaviours that increase the susceptibility to disordered eating patterns. Notably, the influence of social media platforms was implicated in exacerbating negative body image perceptions, particularly within the demographic of young women. The findings highlight body dissatisfaction as a key intermediary linking social media engagement to disordered eating behaviours.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender specific patterns were evident. Among women there is a greater concern about social media validation metrics, such as likes, perceived pressure to change their appearance, and active engagement with fitness related content were significantly associated with higher levels of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. In contrast these associations were minimal or insignificant among men, suggesting different pathways through which social media influences body image and eating related behaviours. These differences may reflect different socio cultural ideals of attractiveness and algorithm driven content exposure across genders.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFuture investigations should prioritise the development and implementation of strategies that are aimed at cultivating positive body image perceptions and fostering healthy eating habits through the strategic design of social media platforms. A comparative analysis between rural-urban women regarding social media influence on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviour can capture the wide spectrum of perspectives from a socio-geographic perspective. Assessment of muscularity dissatisfaction in men can provide a more comprehensive understanding of how men perceive their bodies in the context of societal beauty standards.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffective interventions require evidence-based research, including longitudinal studies, to explore the diverse factors influencing these trends. Integrating media literacy, mental health screening and platform level awareness strategies within higher education institutes settings may help mitigate adverse effects of social media on young adults. The focus should be on body positivity, self-acceptance, and healthy habits to promote overall well-being.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors did not receive support from any organisation for the submitted work. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SRMIST, Kattankulathur for bearing the defrayed costs of publishing this article\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflicts of Interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors have no financial or non-financial interests to disclose.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical approval and informed consent\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study involved human participants. An ethical approval was sought from the institutional ethics committee. The IEC reference number is 0023/IEC/2023. Information regarding the purpose of the study and the benefits and participants\u0026apos; rights was made known to the participants and written informed consent was obtained from each participant. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations, including the ethical standards of the institutional ethics committee and the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated and analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to institutional policy restricting data sharing. This policy ensures compliance with ethical guidelines and data protection regulations. However, we are committed to promoting transparency and reproducibility in research. Therefore, upon reasonable request, the corresponding author (P.M.) can provide access to the data, subject to approval by the institution\u003cem\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConceptualisation: AG, PM.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMethodology: AG, PM\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData curation: AG\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormal analysis: AG, PM.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWriting- Original Draft: AG\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWriting- Review and Editing: PM, AG\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSupervision: PM.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth authors approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat is a Glow-. Up? Later Social Media Glossary [Internet]. [cited 2025 Oct 22]. 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Simon and Schuster; 2000.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNetwork TL. What students are saying about how social media affects their body image. The New York Times. 2024.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChoukas-Bradley S, Nesi J, Widman L, Galla BM. The Appearance-Related Social Media Consciousness Scale: Development and validation with adolescents. Body Image 2020 June 1;33:164\u0026ndash;74.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrleans-Lindsay R, Beauty, Sick. On \u0026lsquo;Glow Up\u0026rsquo;Culture and the Paradox of Aspirational Beauty.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHow. glow up culture is quietly hurting tween girls\u0026rsquo; mental health. Parents [Internet]. [cited 2025 Oct 22]. 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Natl J Physiol Pharm Pharmacol. 2023;13(12):2575\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRaval CM, Bhatt RB, Tiwari DS, Panchal BN. Prevalence and characteristics of eating disorders among college students of a nonmetro city of Gujarat. Ind Psychiatry J. 2022;31(1):74\u0026ndash;80.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShroff H, Thompson JK. Body image and eating disturbance in India: Media and interpersonal influences. Int J Eat Disord. 2004;35(2):198\u0026ndash;203.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSaha S, Biswas DR. Impact Of Eating Disorder On Nutritional Status And Dietary Pattern- A Cross-Sectional Study On Adolescent Girls Of North 24 Parganas District Of West Bengal. J Adv Zool. 2023;44(S5):2478\u0026ndash;83.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePARIA B, DWIVEDI M. ROY SK. 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Effects of social media on body dissatisfaction in junior high school girls in Japan. Eating Behaviors. 2023;48:101685.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJiotsa B, Naccache B, Duval M, Rocher B, Grall-Bronnec M. Social media use and body image disorders: Association between frequency of comparing one\u0026rsquo;s own physical appearance to that of people being followed on social media and body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(6):2880.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSingh S, Gadiraju P. Prevalence and correlates of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating patterns in Indian youth: The role of media. Indian J Psychiatry. 2020;62(5):509\u0026ndash;16.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTiggemann M, Anderberg I. Muscles and bare chests on Instagram: The effect of Influencers\u0026rsquo; fashion and fitspiration images on men\u0026rsquo;s body image. Body Image. 2020;35:237\u0026ndash;44.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFatt SJ, Fardouly J, Rapee RM, #malefitspo. Links between viewing fitspiration posts, muscular-ideal internalisation, appearance comparisons, body satisfaction, and exercise motivation in men. New Media Soc. 2019 June;21(6):1311\u0026ndash;25.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTikTok slammed for. \u0026lsquo;doing nothing\u0026rsquo; over pro-anorexia content by Center for Countering Digital Hate. The Daily Beast [Internet]. [cited 2023 Sep 18]. Available from: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.thedailybeast.com/tiktok-slammed-for-doing-nothing-over-pro-anorexia-content-by-center-for-countering-digital-hate\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.thedailybeast.com/tiktok-slammed-for-doing-nothing-over-pro-anorexia-content-by-center-for-countering-digital-hate\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eG\u0026uuml;ltzow T, Guidry JPD, Schneider F, Hoving C. Male Body Image Portrayals on Instagram. Cyberpsychology. Behav Social Netw. 2020;23(5):281\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYee ZW, Griffiths S, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, Blake K, Richardson B, Krug I. The differential impact of viewing fitspiration and thinspiration images on men\u0026rsquo;s body image concerns: An experimental ecological momentary assessment study. Body Image. 2020;35:96\u0026ndash;107.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Anorexia nervosa, Body image dissatisfaction, eating disorders, social media, Body image","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8579375/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8579375/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial media has intensified social comparison tendencies among the youth, with viral hashtags such as #fitspiration and #glowup, fuelling body dissatisfaction and guilt associated with food consumption. This dissatisfaction, in turn, can drive individuals towards extreme dieting behaviours and put them at risk of developing eating disorders that compromise both physical and mental health.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study examined the impact of social media on body dissatisfaction and the risk of developing eating disorders among college students in West Bengal, India. An online questionnaire was circulated via social media platforms using purposive sampling. The Body Shape Questionnaire and Eating Attitudes Test were employed to assess body dissatisfaction and disordered eating patterns, respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong 301 respondents, 12.3% demonstrated high risk for developing eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with photo editing practices and preoccupation with likes received on social media posts. Disordered eating behaviours were more common among women, particularly those engaged in photo editing or demonstrating heightened concern about social media validation. Awareness of viral social media challenges emerged as a significant predictor of both body dissatisfaction and eating disorder risk, with women showing greater vulnerability.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial media exposure negatively influences body image perceptions and elevates the risk of disordered eating behaviours, with women experiencing disproportionate effects. These findings underscore the need for interventions addressing social media's impact on mental health. Future research should investigate rural-urban disparities in these patterns, while social media platforms could be utilised to promote body positivity and healthier body image narratives.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Social media use body dissatisfaction and eating disorder risk among college students in West Bengal India from a gender perspective","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-09 07:12:05","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8579375/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"31f31f46-7348-43e3-87f4-78b587c26ca3","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 9th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-18T08:28:23+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-09 07:12:05","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8579375","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8579375","identity":"rs-8579375","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}