Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/3084
Date of Award
6-2025
Degree Name
MS in Nutrition
Department/Program
Food Science and Nutrition
College
College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences
Advisor
Kari Pilolla
Advisor Department
Food Science and Nutrition
Advisor College
College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences
Abstract
Postpartum women are a high-risk population for body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior due in part to the plethora of hormonal and physiological changes. Despite this, research examining this issue among postpartum women remains limited.
This pilot cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between social media use, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behavior among women up to 13 months postpartum. For this study, the following research questions were asked: Is high social media usage associated with higher levels of disordered eating among women up to 13 months postpartum? Is the association between social media usage and disordered eating mediated by a lower level of body satisfaction? Participants were recruited through online parenting groups, local bulletin boards, and breastfeeding support groups. Weekly social media screen time was collected per platform. The assessment of eating attitudes and disordered eating behavior was measured with the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and body image perception was assessed with the Body Image States Survey (BISS). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample, while bivariate fit analysis and linear regression analyses were conducted to examine associations and mediational effects.
The data analysis included 25 participants. 12% of respondents scored over 20 on the EAT-26 indicating a greater level of concern regarding dieting, problematic eating behaviors, and body weight. Results did not show a statistically significant mediational effect of body dissatisfaction on the association between social media and disordered eating. Contrary to the hypothesis, increased social media usage was not significantly associated with elevating levels of disordered eating among women up to 13 months postpartum. At no level of mediation from body dissatisfaction was social media and disordered eating statistically associated. These findings suggest that social media may moderate the strength of the association between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior. Further research with a larger sample size with a broader demographic is warranted to determine causality and increase generalization. These results begin to fill the identified gap in eating disorder research among postpartum women. Furthermore, these findings illustrate how screening for eating disorder behavior among the postpartum population should be a standardized practice in perinatal care beginning in pregnancy.