Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating symptoms in children's daily life: Can parents protect against appearance comparison on social media?
Jolien De Coen, Lien Goossens, Guy Bosmans, Gillian Debra, Sandra Verbeken
Author Information
Jolien De Coen: Ghent University, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: jolien.decoen@ugent.be.
Lien Goossens: Ghent University, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Guy Bosmans: University of Leuven, Research Unit Clinical Psychology, Tiensestraat 102 - box 3720, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Gillian Debra: Ghent University, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Sandra Verbeken: Ghent University, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Research suggests that body dissatisfaction is common among children. However, it remains largely unknown how body dissatisfaction occurs on a daily basis and which environmental factors are linked to this. The purpose of this study was to examine (1) state body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, compensatory exercise and loss of control eating among children and its association with upward comparisons via social media and (2) whether trust in parents may attenuate this association. Children from 10 to 12 years old (N = 50) were assessed three times a day during a two-week period. Trust was examined via a baseline questionnaire. State body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, compensatory exercise, loss of control eating and upward comparisons were examined via Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). Multilevel analyses indicated that an a higher level of upward comparison is associated with a higher level of state body dissatisfaction, compensatory exercise and loss of control eating. Trust in father significantly moderated the association between appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction. No evidence was found for the protective role of trust in mother. Future research is necessary to enhance our understanding of state body dissatisfaction among children and of environmental factors that may protect children from the adverse effects of social media.
