The role of media literacy in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: A systematic review
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This study comprised a systematic review of literature examining empirical relationships between levels of media literacy and body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. The review aimed to integrate research on this topic. Electronic databases were searched for key concepts: media literacy, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating. Media literacy measures were coded for consistency with media literacy constructs. Sixteen eligible studies were identified. Cross-sectional outcomes depended upon the media literacy construct assessed. Some relationships between high scores on measures consistent with media literacy constructs and low scores on body dissatisfaction and related attitudes were found. Media literacy-based interventions revealed improvements in media literacy constructs realism scepticism, influence of media, and awareness of media motives for profit, and improvements in body-related variables, but not disordered eating. Further research examining relationships between theoretically driven media literacy constructs and body and eating concerns is needed. Recommendations are made for evaluating media literacy-based eating disorder prevention.
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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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- Authors
- McLean, S. A., Paxton, S. J., & Wertheim, E. H.
- Affiliations
- La Trobe University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- McLean, Siân A.
- Venue
- Body Image
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-12
- Volume
- 19
- Pages
- 9-23
- ISSN
- 1740-1445 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2512980686
- Cited by
- 190
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 1.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- vuir.vu.edu.au
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Body Image (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Victoria University Research Repository (Victoria University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Australian Rotary Health
- 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 › Literacy, Media, and Education
- Keywords
- media literacy, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, eating disorders, media literacy interventions, media influence, eating disorder prevention
- MeSH terms
- Literacy, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Body Image, Cross-Sectional Studies, Emotions, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Mass Media, Periodicals as Topic, Self Concept, Television
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