Dataset Information

Dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors among a sample of U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Online dating has become increasingly popular over the years. Few research studies have examined the association between dating apps and disordered eating. In this study, we evaluated the association between dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs) among a sample of U.S. adults.

Methods

Our sample includes 1769 adults who completed an online survey assessing dating app use and UWCBs in the past year. Survey assessed participants' self-reported frequency of using dating apps within the past 30?days and engagement in six UWCBs with the purpose of lowering weight or changing their body shape within the past 12?months. UWCBs included vomiting, laxative use, fasting, diet pill use, muscle building supplement use, and use of anabolic steroids.

Results

Results of multivariate logistic regression models suggest dating app users had substantially elevated odds of UWCBs compared with non-users (odds ratios [OR] range?=?2.7-16.2). These findings were supported by results of additional gender-stratified multivariate logistic regression analyses among women and men.

Conclusions

This study's findings contribute to the limited literature exploring the association between dating app use and adverse health outcomes, particularly UWCBs. While additional longitudinal and representative research is needed, public health professionals ought to explore dating app use as a potential risk factor for UWCBs.

SUBMITTER: Tran A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6543621 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors among a sample of U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study.

Tran Alvin A Suharlim Christian C Mattie Heather H Davison Kirsten K Agénor Madina M Austin S Bryn SB

Journal of eating disorders 20190531

<h4>Background</h4>Online dating has become increasingly popular over the years. Few research studies have examined the association between dating apps and disordered eating. In this study, we evaluated the association between dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs) among a sample of U.S. adults.<h4>Methods</h4>Our sample includes 1769 adults who completed an online survey assessing dating app use and UWCBs in the past year. Survey assessed participants' self-reported frequ ...[more]

PMID: 31164984

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Project description:BackgroundBody image concerns are prevalent and are viewed as risk factors for engaging in unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs), such as purging, fasting, and the misuse of laxatives and diet pills. Studies have also linked UWCBs to the development of eating disorders. In the United States (U.S.), sexual minority men (e.g., bisexual, gay, and men who have sex with men) are prone to UWCBs often as a result of societal pressures to achieve certain standards of appearance - of which are often perpetuated through various media platforms. A growing number of studies have explored the possible role mobile dating applications ("dating apps") play in contributing to UWCBs. To our knowledge, such studies have not explored this possible relationship between dating apps and UWCBs in sexual minority men (SMM). To fill this gap in the scientific literature, the present study assessed the association between dating app use and UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors among a sample of adult SMM in the U.S.Method549 SMM participated in an anonymous survey from Qualtrics Survey Panels. UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors were assessed through items adapted from national surveys. Body image dissatisfaction was assessed using the Male Body Attitudes Scales. Participants also reported their history of dating app use. We performed descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and student's t-tests. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the relationship between dating app use and UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors.ResultsDating app users had significantly higher body image dissatisfaction scores than non-users. Dating app users also demonstrated significantly elevated odds of engaging in four UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors: laxatives, diet pills, muscle-building supplements, and protein powders.ConclusionsThis is one of the first studies to assess dating app use and its association with UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors in SMM. Increased surveillance and detection for such behaviors among SMM, particularly those using dating apps, are needed.

Project description:BackgroundDespite the prevalent use of geosocial networking dating apps (GNDAs), there is limited research on their impact on sexual health outcomes among young music festivals attendees.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the use of GNDAs and risky sexual behaviors of young adults attending a music festival.MethodsThe music festival attendees (N=862) completed a cross-sectional questionnaire study encompassing demographics, dating app use, and risky sexual behaviors in the past year. Associations between these variables were estimated using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.ResultsOf the respondents, 51.9% (448/862) had used GNDAs in the previous year. Compared with people who had 1 partner, people who had 2-5 sexual partners in the previous year had almost 7 times the odds of using dating apps (odds ratio [OR] 6.581, 95% CI 4.643-9.328) and those who had more than 5 partners had 14 times the odds of using dating apps (OR 14.294, 95% CI 8.92-22.906). Condom users were more likely to be app users (P<.001), as were those who relied on emergency Plan B (P=.002), but people using hormonal contraception were less likely to use dating apps (P=.004). After adjusting for sexual orientation and relationship status, those having casual sex had 3.096 (95% CI 2.225-4.307; P<.001) times the odds of using dating apps and those having multiple sexual partners had 3.943 (95% CI 2.782-5.588; P<.001) times the odds of using dating apps. Similarly, after adjusting for sexual orientation, relationship status, and number of sexual partners, people who had no discussions before having sex about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or boundaries were more likely to use dating apps (OR 1.755, 95% CI 1.232-2.500; P=.002). Those who perceived the risk of having sex without contraception to be very high had 2.486 (95% CI 2.213-5.096; P=.01) times the odds of using dating apps than those who perceived no risk. Compared with those who perceived no risk, people who thought that the risk of having multiple sexual partners was low to high had 1.871 (95% CI 1.024-3.418; P=.04) times the odds of using dating apps. A significant number of app users (389/440, 88.4%) indicated that GNDAs should promote safe sex.ConclusionsThis study identified that festival goers engaging in certain high-risk sexual behaviors, including casual sex, having multiple sexual partners, and having sex without discussion about STI status and boundaries, are more likely to use dating apps. Festival goers who perceived sex without any form of contraception, having sex while drunk, and having multiple sexual partners as risky were more likely to be app users. Policy makers and GNDA developers should acknowledge the vulnerability of their users to adverse sexual health outcomes and use GNDAs as a platform to promote risk-reduction practices.

Dataset Information

Dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors among a sample of U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors among a sample of U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study.

Similar Datasets

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