Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41910539›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of health psychology2026

Investigating the relation between social media, dating app use and body image dimensions: A cross-country study.

Gianluca Lo Coco, Rachel Rodgers, Emily A Harris, Charlotte Markey, Alvaro Sicilia, Annie Aimé, Jacinthe Dion, Laura Salerno, Naomi Hayami-Chisuwa, Hannah J White and 10 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of health psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
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

20 authors.

Gianluca Lo CocoUniversity of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9027-1899
Rachel RodgersNorth Eastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9874-8620
Emily A HarrisUniversity of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Charlotte MarkeyRutgers University, Camden, New Jersey, USA.
Alvaro SiciliaUniversity of Almeria, Almeria, Spain.
Annie AiméUniversité du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, Canada.
Jacinthe DionUniversité du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.
Laura SalernoUniversity of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Naomi Hayami-ChisuwaOsaka City University, Osaka, Japan.
Hannah J WhiteLoughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
Carolyn R PlateauLoughborough University, Loughborough, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1256-1353
Antonio Granero-GallegosUniversity of Almeria, Almeria, Spain.
Christophe MaïanoUniversité du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, Canada.
Gian Mauro ManzoniUniversity of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Giada PietrabissaCatholic University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Catherine BéginLaval University, Quebec, Quebec, Canada.
Marie-Éve BlackburnECOBES-Research and Transfer, Jonquiére, Quebec, Canada.
Esben StrodlQueensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia.
Matthew Fuller-TyszkiewiczDeakin University, Burwood, New South Wales, Australia.
Marita McCabeSwinburne University, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesSocial media emphasize appearance ideals, and their use may be associated with body dissatisfaction. To date, however, data on the relationships specific to certain platforms such as dating apps are scarce, as are cross-country comparisons and studies including men. Thus, this study examined the relationship between social media and dating app use and body image among young adults across eight countries and considered gender and country as potential moderators.

methodsA sample of 5933 young adults (mean age = 21.54 years; 67.6% female) from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United States completed an online survey. Mixed-effects regression models tested the effects of time on social media and dating apps on body image outcomes.

resultsLonger time on social media was associated with lower body satisfaction and body appreciation, and a higher drive for leanness, thin-ideal internalization and appearance comparison. Longer time spent on dating apps was associated with lower body appreciation and appearance comparison, and a higher drive for muscularity. The associations between time spent on social media, dating apps and drive for muscularity were stronger for men than for women. Few variations across countries emerged.

conclusionsGreater social media and dating app use may be related to poor body image and related indicators across countries, particularly among young men.

Indexed as

Body ImageMobile ApplicationsSocial MediaAdolescentAdultAustraliaBody SatisfactionCanadaChinaCross-Cultural ComparisonDigital MediaFemaleHumansItalyJapanMalebody appreciationbody imagedating appsdrive for muscularityromantic relationshipssocial mediathin ideal

Identifiers

PMID41910539
PMCPMC13034889

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.