Do universal media literacy programs have an effect on weight and shape concern by influencing media internalization?
Abstract
The current study examined whether media internalization, found to mediate the relationship between selected prevention programs and outcomes, mediated the impact of two universal prevention programs that targeted risk factors for eating disorders and obesity, namely weight concern, and shape concern. Students randomized to a media literacy (Media Smart) program (N = 269, 65% females, mean age 12.97 years) and a healthy lifestyle (Life Smart) program (N = 347, 69% females, mean age 13.07 years) were included in the analyses. There were four waves of data (baseline, end of intervention, 6- and 12-month follow-up). Latent growth curve modeling was used to explore whether group assignment influenced levels of media internalization, and whether that in turn influenced change over time of our two outcome variables. Being randomly allocated to Media Smart as opposed to Life Smart resulted in less growth of both outcome variables through the influence on decreasing levels of media internalization. Findings provided support for the suggestion that media literacy programs exert an impact on outcomes related to eating disorder risk through changes to media internalization. Future research should examine whether these mechanisms of change differ between girls and boys.
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Media literacy interventions have shown effectiveness in improving a range of body image-related outcomes, including the internalization of appearance ideals and weight and shape concerns.
“Media literacy interventions have shown effectiveness in improving a range of body image-related outcomes, including the internalization of appearance ideals and weight and shape concerns [45,46,47,48].”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Wade, T. D., Wilksch, S. M., Paxton, S. J., Byrne, S. M., & Austin, S. B.
- Affiliations
- Flinders University (AU)
- La Trobe University (AU)
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- Boston Children's Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wade, Tracey D.
- Venue
- International Journal of Eating Disorders
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-02-02
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 731-738
- ISSN
- 0276-3478 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-108X
- OpenAlex
- W2584207279
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 4.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Eating Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (University of Western Australia) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Butterfly Research Institute
- South Australian Centre for Intergenerational Health for Dr Wilksch.
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Keywords
- media literacy programs, weight concern, shape concern, eating disorder prevention, obesity prevention, universal prevention programs, adolescents, healthy lifestyle promotion, mediation
- MeSH terms
- Literacy, Adolescent, Body Image, Body Weight, Child, Female, Humans, Male, Obesity, Risk Factors, Social Media
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