ACAP University College

Instagram, Embodied Wellbeing, and Digital Pruning: Pathways to Orthorexia Nervosa in Women and Woman-identified Persons in Australia

You are invited to take part in a study that explores how exposure to health- and clean-eating content on Instagram is related to orthorexia nervosa symptoms in young adult women and woman-identified persons in Australia, and some of the factors that might buffer this relationship. Orthorexia nervosa is a preoccupation with healthy eating that can interfere with daily functioning and overall well-being. Health- and clean-eating content is increasingly prominent on Instagram, and while it is typically framed as promoting health, engaging with it can be associated with a greater risk for developing eating disorders, such as orthorexia nervosa. However, little is known about factors that might protect women and woman-identified Instagram users against the negative effects of this content, such as how the online environment is managed and a sense of connection to the body.

Women or woman-identified people aged 18–34 years who live in Australia, use Instagram, and can read and understand English well enough to complete a survey in English, and who have no personal relationship with the researchers, are eligible to take part.

If you decide to take part, you will complete 104 questions in an online survey. You can complete the survey using any device. You will be asked to provide information about your age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion/spirituality, ethnicity, current relationship status, current occupation, weight and height, and eating disorder history. You will then be asked a series of questions about your social media use (36 questions), importance of healthy food choices (15 questions), how you manage your online environment (3 questions), and how connected you feel to your body (34 questions).