Assessing Fitspiration Content: A Mixed Methods Study on the Effects of an Ecological Momentary Assessment on Body Appreciation, Social Comparison, and Media Literacy Among Young Women

Abstract

Viewing fitness content on social media is associated with body dissatisfaction among young women. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a form of intensive longitudinal measurement, can allow for the examination of differential media effects. EMAs about media in conjunction with health topics may influence participants’ awareness of the content to which they are exposed and possibly impact behaviors. We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed methods study to see whether an EMA focused on experiences with fitspiration content and body appreciation would be associated with changes in body appreciation, social comparison, and media literacy. We conducted a pretest posttest field experiment (N = 40) in which young women (ages 18–24) in Washington state completed a pretest sent via text message followed by two daily surveys over 4 days, followed by a posttest. We then conducted follow-up interviews with a subset of participants (N = 7) about their experiences. Paired samples t-tests revealed that the experience of completing the EMAs reduced participants’ social comparison. Our thematic analysis highlighted that participants’ study experiences impacted their awareness of the content to which they were exposed. They also were aware of potential mechanisms through which impacts may occur (e.g., self-comparison). The use of EMAs can positively impact outcomes relevant to body image, specifically, social comparison. Asking participants to reflect on their perceptions of the content to which they are exposed can call attention to such content as well as potential effects, serving an intervention function and potentially benefiting participants.