Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37161386›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2023

Association between dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors and muscle enhancing behaviors in sexual minority men: a cross-sectional study.

Alvin Tran, Mabintou Darboe, Anirudh Goyal, Nick Birk

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
3.8field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Alvin TranDepartment of Population Health and Leadership, School of Health Sciences, University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Road, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA. atran@newhaven.edu.
Mabintou DarboeDepartment of Population Health and Leadership, School of Health Sciences, University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Road, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA.
Anirudh GoyalDepartment of Population Health and Leadership, School of Health Sciences, University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Road, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA.
Nick BirkHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 67 Huntington Ave, Boston, MS, MA, 02115, USA.
University of New Haven · USHarvard University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

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.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsSexual and Gender MinoritiesAdultCross-Sectional StudiesHomosexuality, MaleHumansLaxativesMaleMusclesLaxativesBody imageDating appsMuscle enhancing behaviorsSexual minority menUnhealthy weight control behaviors

Identifiers

PMID37161386
PMCPMC10170774
OpenAlexW4376115877

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.