Women's body dissatisfaction, physical appearance comparisons, and Instagram use throughout theCOVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the evolution of Instagram use, body dis-satisfaction and physical appearance comparisons throughout the coronavirusdisease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and to explore whether there was a relationshipbetween the changes in Instagram use throughout the pandemic and body dissatis-faction and physical appearance comparisons.Method: A total of 272 Spanish women (16–70 years old) were followed-up acrossfour waves of assessment between November 2019 (before the pandemic started)and July 2021. Body dissatisfaction, social appearance comparisons, and Instagramuse were assessed using the Eating Disorders Inventory-3, the Physical AppearanceComparison Scale-Revised, and an ad hoc questionnaire for Instagram use,respectively.Results: No statistically significant changes were found in the frequency of Instagramuse, nor on the proportion of women following appearance-focused accounts onInstagram, among the data collection periods. Body dissatisfaction significantlyincreased from T1 to T4, and physical appearance comparisons significantly increasedfrom T1 to T2, T3, and T4. These increases were not found to be significant for thosewith eating disorder risk. No significant differences were found in body dissatisfac-tion and physical appearance comparisons depending on whether participants' fre-quency of Instagram use had changed or remained the same, or whether they hadstarted/stopped/continued following appearance-focused accounts on Instagramduring the pandemic.Discussion: Women's body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisonsseem to have increased throughout the pandemic. The experiences of individualswith eating disorder risk throughout the pandemic, and the relationship between thepandemic and Instagram use, might be complex and need further research.Public Significance: This study suggests that women's body dissatisfaction and physi-cal appearance comparisons have increased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.However, this increase might not be as clear for those who had eating disorder risk before the pandemic. Instagram frequency of use, and the percentage of women fol-lowing appearance-focused accounts on Instagram, do not seem to have significantlyincreased. More research is needed to explore the impact of the pandemic.