SynthesisNutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia2020
Social media, body image and food choices in healthy young adults: A mixed methods systematic review.
Synthesis in Nutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 150 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
150 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Associations of Problematic Smartphone Use and Smartphone Screen Time With Eating Disorder Psychopathology in Non-Clinical Samples: A Systematic Review.JMIR mental health · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of Social Media Use on Physical, Mental, Social, and Emotional Health, Sleep Quality, Body Image, and Mood: Evidence from 21 Countries-A Systematic Literature Review with Narrative Synthesis.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Interconnected desires: A systematic review of compulsive buying-shopping disorder and its links to disordered eating and body image by gender.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2025Pooled it
- Quality and accuracy of online nutrition-related information: a systematic review of content analysis studies.Public health nutrition · 2023Pooled it
- The Relationship between Binge Drinking and Binge Eating in Adolescence and Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Social media, body image and food choices in healthy young adults: A mixed methods systematic review.Nutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia · 2020Pooled it
- Trial
- Educational WhatsApp-delivered intervention based on social cognitive theory to promote leishmaniosis preventive behavior of health ambassadors: a randomized controlled trial.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Trial
- Evaluating the Efficacy of a Social Media-Based Intervention (Warna-Warni Waktu) to Improve Body Image Among Young Indonesian Women: Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Trial
- Social Media and out of Home Food Selection and Health Promoting Choices: A Generational Perspective in Poland.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Disordered Eating Attitudes in Hungarian Adults: Body Image, Sociocultural Media Pressures, and the Cross-Gender Athletic Ideal.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Scrolling Toward Dissatisfaction? A Longitudinal Examination of Short-Form Video Use, Body Dissatisfaction, and Disordered Eating Among Nurses.The International journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- Latent profile analysis of mindfulness and experiential avoidance associated with social media use disorder.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- An Examination of Digital Media and Device-Related Problems in Pediatric Hospital Visits for Psychiatric Crises.JAACAP open · 2026Article
- From Family Patterns to Eating Disorder Risk: The Role of Social Media, Appearance Ideals, and Body Image Among Emerging and Young Adults.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Investigating the relation between social media, dating app use and body image dimensions: A cross-country study.British journal of health psychology · 2026Article
- Eating Attitudes and Anthropometric Indices of Adult Women in Performance Dance: A Case-Control Study in Greece.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2026Article
- Energy Drink Consumption Among Adolescents in Northern Spain: Habits, Risk Perception and Associated Factors.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Smartwatch use intensity and social physique anxiety: the moderating role of neuroticism and conscientiousness.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Exploring the Association Between Internet Use and Dietary Habits of Adolescents and University Students in Greece: A Pilot Study.Nutrients · 2026Article
90 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimNegative body image increases the risk of engaging in unhealthy dieting and disordered eating patterns. This review evaluated the impact of habitual social media engagement or exposure to image-related content on body image and food choices in healthy young adults (18-30 years).
methodsA systematic search of six databases of observational literature published 2005-2019, was conducted (PROSPERO Registration No. CRD42016036588). Inclusion criteria were: studies reporting social media engagement (posting, liking, commenting) or exposure to image-related content in healthy young adults. Outcomes were: body image (satisfaction or dissatisfaction) and food choices (healthy eating, dieting/restricting, overeating/binging). Two authors independently screened, coded and evaluated studies for methodological quality.
resultsThirty studies were identified (n = 11 125 participants). Quantitative analysis (n = 26) identified social media engagement or exposure to image-related content was associated with higher body dissatisfaction, dieting/restricting food, overeating, and choosing healthy foods. Qualitative analysis (n = 4) identified five themes: (i) social media encourages comparison between users, (ii) comparisons heighten feelings about the body, (iii) young adults modify their appearance to portray a perceived ideal image, (iv) young adults are aware of social media's impact on body image and food choices, however, (v) external validation via social media is pursued. Most studies (n = 17) controlled for some confounding variables (age, gender, BMI, ethnicity).
conclusionsSocial media engagement or exposure to image-related content may negatively impact body image and food choice in some healthy young adults. Health professionals designing social media campaigns for young adults should consider image-related content, to not heighten body dissatisfaction.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.