Perceptions of Weight Change Among Romantic Partners: Considering Body Image, Relationship Experiences, Gender, and Sexual Orientation.

Romantic relationship experiences have been found to be relevant to body image and weight in adulthood. In this study, we investigated predictors of heterosexual, lesbian, and gay romantic partners' (N = 500, M age = 29.3) perceptions of their own and their partners' weight at the beginning of their relationship and 4.8 years later, on average. Perceived changes in participants' own weight status was associated with greater body dissastisfaction and longer relationship length. Perceived changes in partners' weight status was associated with their partners' BMI, as well as relationship quality. We also found that gender was important in understanding some of these associations. Implications of weight perceptions for individuals' and their partners' health and well-being and the critical role of relationship quality are discussed in the context of the health regulation model.

Breastfeeding, body image, and weight control behavior among postpartum women.

The goal of this study was to examine breastfeeding behavior and attitudes as predictors of women's body image and weight control behavior. This study extends past research by focusing on positive body image variables including body appreciation and perceived body functionality. Women (N = 597) from the United States who had recently birthed biological babies ages 0-12 months participated in an online study. Current breastfeeding rates were high (86 %), and average breastfeeding duration was approximately 3 months. Women who were currently breastfeeding indicated more positive body images and less likelihood of engaging in maladaptive weight control behaviors than women who were no longer breastfeeding or had never breastfed their baby. Women's positive attitudes toward breastfeeding were associated with awareness and appreciation of body functionality and fewer maladaptive weight control behaviors. These findings extend research on the health benefits of positive body image and suggest that breastfeeding may occur within a constellation of beliefs and behaviors indicative of positive body image.

Predictors of disordered weight loss behaviors among same-sex and opposite-sex romantic partners.

Although the majority of adults will attempt to lose weight at some point in their lives, most weight loss behaviors are ineffective and potentially harmful. Further, weight loss behaviors often closely resemble disordered eating, and include behaviors such as fasting and purging. The current study examined potential predictors of disordered approaches to weight loss in the context of same-sex and opposite-sex romantic partnerships by investigating participants' (n = 500, Mage = 29.62 years) BMI, body image, self-esteem, relationship quality and disordered weight loss behaviors. We conducted analyses using Actor Partner Interdependence Models, which revealed that the greatest predictors of participating in disordered weight loss behavior were body dissatisfaction and having a male partner. These findings suggest that it is not sexuality, per se, that places individuals at risk for disordered weight loss behavior, but perhaps the value placed on thinness as defined by particular gender and cultural groups.

Understanding body image among adults in mid-late life: Considering romantic partners and depressive symptoms in the context of diabetes.

Although our bodies change as we age, there is limited research exploring body image among middle-aged and older adults. This study considered 70 adults with diabetes' (Mage = 60.01 years) body image and revealed relatively high levels of body dissatisfaction in this sample. Furthermore, participants' own and perceptions of their partners' dissatisfaction with their bodies were moderately associated, and participants' body dissatisfaction was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the need for further research, exploring the social and psychological correlates of body image among men and women in mid-late adulthood.

Body image experiences in the context of chronic pain: An examination of associations among perceptions of pain, body dissatisfaction, and positive body image.

Although body image research has recently begun to examine positive body image and ways to improve body image, it remains unclear the extent to which these findings generalize to individuals who experience chronic pain. With this in mind, this study examined individuals with chronic pain conditions (N = 278, Mage = 36.75, SD = 11.56), including their reports of their ability to control, manage, and accept their pain. Participants also completed assessments of four facets of body image: perceptions of body functionality, body appreciation, appearance evaluation, and body satisfaction. Results indicated that pain acceptance was the most consistent, unique predictor of these body image constructs, after controlling for the other pain facets, as well as body mass index, gender, and age. These findings have implications for improving body image among people with chronic pain; it appears that controlling or altering pain may be less relevant to body image than is how individuals cope with pain.

#digital hood: Engagement with Risk Content on Social Media among Black and Hispanic Youth.

The digital neighborhood is the amalgamation of the spaces online where youth connect with others. Just as Black and Hispanic youth live in neighborhoods that influence their health, they are also influenced by online digital neighborhoods. Youth are exposed to social media content featuring substance use, sexual risk, and violence, yet little is known about the extent to which youth engage with such content. Using a modified venue sampling strategy, we administered CASI surveys to 145 Black and Hispanic youth aged 13-24 living in low-income urban neighborhoods. Across social media platforms, respondents reported high levels of exposure to sexual, alcohol, drug, and violence-related content (65-84%). Users reported lower levels of engagement with risk-related content (on an engagement continuum), ranging from passive exposure to dissemination. While negative risks may be amplified in the digital neighborhood, youth appear to strategically limit their engagement with that content. However, because risk behavior messaging is common in these digital neighborhoods, these spaces provide opportunities for health promotion interventions.

An attitude of gratitude: The effects of body-focused gratitude on weight bias internalization and body image.

Internalized weight bias and body dissatisfaction are associated with a number of negative psychological and physical health outcomes. The current study examined the effectiveness of body-focused gratitude, through a short writing exercise, as a strategy to reduce internalized weight bias and improve body image. Young adults (Mage = 22.71, SD = 2.08, 51.2% female) were randomly assigned to either a body gratitude condition (n = 185) or a control condition (n = 184). Results indicated that participants in the gratitude condition reported significantly lower weight bias internalization and significantly more favorable appearance evaluation and greater body satisfaction when compared to the control condition. These effects were in the small range (ds = 0.27-0.33), and neither gender nor BMI moderated these effects. These findings provide preliminary support for body-focused gratitude writing exercises as an effective individual-level strategy for both reducing internalized weight bias and improving body image.

Cosmetic surgery attitudes among midlife women: Appearance esteem, weight esteem, and fear of negative appearance evaluation.

Previous research has examined factors thought to influence individuals' interest in cosmetic surgery, yet few studies have examined these issues among midlife women. This study examines predictors of cosmetic surgery attitudes among midlife women ( N = 114; age = 45-65 years; Mage = 53.7) and considers a previously unexplored variable: fear of negative appearance evaluation. Results indicated that lower weight and appearance esteem were associated with more positive cosmetic surgery attitudes and greater fear of negative appearance evaluation. Furthermore, fear of negative appearance evaluation mediated the relationship between appearance and weight esteem and cosmetic surgery attitudes. We conclude that fear of negative appearance evaluation is an important factor to consider in examining cosmetic surgery attitudes.

Imagine that! The effect of counterstereotypic imagined intergroup contact on weight bias.

OBJECTIVE: Higher body-weight people are highly stigmatized and face prejudice and discrimination across a number of domains. Further, experiences of weight stigmatization are associated with a host of negative physical, psychological, and social consequences. However, less is known about effective means for reducing weight bias. One strategy that has shown some success in prejudice reduction, yet is relatively untested for weight bias, is imagined intergroup contact. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of counterstereotypic imagined intergroup contact on weight bias. METHOD: Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experimental conditions or a control group. In the experimental conditions, participants were asked to imagine interactions with either a counterstereotypic (e.g., confident, attractive) or stereotypic (e.g., unattractive, insecure) "obese" person. Participants then completed the Anti-fat Attitudes Questionnaire (dislike subscale; Crandall, 1994; Quinn & Crocker, 1999), the Universal Measure of Bias-Fat (negative judgment and social distance subscales; Latner et al., 2008), and the Fat Phobia Scale. RESULTS: Results indicated that participants in the counterstereotypic condition reported lower levels of weight bias (dislike, negative judgment, and social distance) than participants in the stereotypic and control conditions. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the potential usefulness of counterstereotypic imagined contact to reduce weight bias. (PsycINFO Database Record

Social Media Use and Sexual Risk Reduction Behavior Among Minority Youth: Seeking Safe Sex Information.

BACKGROUND: Sexual health is an important area of study-particularly for minority youth and youth living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the research was to examine the sources of sexual health information associated with youth adopting sexual risk reduction behaviors. METHODS: Data collection took place in a small city in the Northeastern United States using cross-sectional behavioral surveys and modified venue-based sampling. Participants included 249 African American and Latino youth aged 13-24. Participants reported their sources of information about contraception and human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted disease, such as TV/movies, parents, social media; their intentions to have sex; and condom and contraception use during their last sexual activity. Social media use, past pregnancy experience, past sexual history, age, and gender were also measured. Standard tests of bivariate association (chi-square and F tests) were used to examine initial associations between sexual risk reduction behavior and exposure to sexual risk reduction information on social media. Logistic regression models were used to test multivariate relationships between information sources and sexual risk reduction behavior. RESULTS: Youth who were exposed to sexual health messages on social media were 2.69 times (p < .05) and 2.49 times (p < .08) more likely to have used contraception or a condom at last intercourse, respectively. Parents, schools, or traditional media as information sources were not significantly associated with contractive use or condom use at last intercourse. DISCUSSION: Youth sexual behavior is increasingly informed by social media messages. Health practitioners should utilize social media as an important health promotion tool.

Body appreciation, interest in cosmetic enhancements, and need for uniqueness among U.S. college students.

The aim of the current study was to examine associations between body appreciation and putative correlates that focus on self-enhancement and self-expression. Students (N=261; mean age=20.16years, SD=3.68; 60.9% female) from a non-residential college in the northeastern United States completed a questionnaire measuring body appreciation, interest in cosmetic enhancements, and need for uniqueness. Individuals with higher body appreciation and African Americans/Blacks reported significantly higher self-attributed need for uniqueness and significantly higher investment in a distinctive appearance. The association between body appreciation and interest in cosmetic enhancements (e.g., hair coloring) was not significant. Results suggest that body appreciation may be linked to a desire to express one's own unique qualities.

The Digital Hood: Social Media Use among Youth in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods.

This study examines the role of social media in the lives of youth living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Feminist Standpoint theory, which privileges the voices of marginalized communities in understanding social phenomena, suggests that youth at the margins have specific knowledge that helps us understand social media more broadly. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 females and 30 males aged 13 to 24 about their social worlds and neighborhoods, both on- and offline. The findings reveal a dynamic and somewhat concerning interplay between the geographic neighborhood and the digital neighborhood, whereby negative social interactions in the geographic neighborhood are reproduced and amplified on social media.

Socioecological factors in sexual decision making among urban girls and young women.

OBJECTIVES: To examine how girls and young women living in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods make decisions relating to sexual debut and HIV prevention. DESIGN: Thirty semistructured in-depth interviews. We used a socioecological approach to investigate the role of neighborhood and social context on sexual decision making. SETTING: Community-based organizations and on-campus interview sites. PARTICIPANTS: African American and Latina girls and young women age 13 to 24 living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. METHODS: We examine their attitudes and beliefs about sex, first opportunities for sexual intercourse, prevention behaviors, and neighborhood environments. RESULTS: Lack of neighborhood safety and safe socialization places led youth to spend significant amounts of time indoors, often without adult supervision. CONCLUSION: The findings provide insight into the socioecological context in which girls are situated as they navigate sexual decision making. Unsupervised, cloistered time coupled with peer norms to engage in sexual behavior may contribute to increased risky sexual behavior among some youth. Prevention efforts should consider neighborhood context and incorporate structural and community-level interventions to create social environments that support healthy sexual decision making.