Body ImageNCT03991351
Impact of Exposure to Images of the Idealised Physique on Body Satisfaction, Dieting Intentions and Mood in Men.
An observational study of Body Image, run by University of Leeds at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
Every day, people are exposed to huge amounts of media. Research has explored the impact of viewing traditional media and advertising (such as television and magazines) on how a person thinks and feels about their body (body satisfaction). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 34 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Body Image
- What is being tested?
- Exposure to images
- How many people
- 214 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 28 Mar 2019to 31 Oct 2020
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 34 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: Any men aged 18-34 will be recruited. Students from the University of Leeds will make up a large proportion of the sample.
Who may be able to join
- Any men aged 18-34
Who cannot join
- Females, current or historical diagnosis of eating disorders, anyone who falls outside of age limit
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Investigation Into the Impact of Exposure to Images of the Idealised Physique on Body Satisfaction, Dieting Intentions and Mood in Men.
Every day, people are exposed to huge amounts of media. Research has explored the impact of viewing traditional media and advertising (such as television and magazines) on how a person thinks and feels about their body (body satisfaction). However, less is known about the impact of exposure to social media on body satisfaction. It is important to consider this now, given the rise in social media use.
The rise in social media use has made it easier for people to share images of an 'ideal' body, which for men is high muscularity and low body fat. Alongside this rise in the ideal body being shared on social media, there is a rise in male eating disorders. Research has already demonstrated that showing images of the 'ideal' body decreases body satisfaction. However, there has been little research in men and this research uses media from magazines.
The present study will update research by using images taken from Instagram and by recruiting male participants. Participants will be asked to take part in an online survey (shared on social media) which measures initial mood, body satisfaction, self-esteem and diet and exercise intentions. It will then show participants images of men with different physiques (either muscular, overweight, slender or control images of landscapes). The measures will then be repeated to see if viewing the images had any impact
Read the detailed description
The present study will seek to replicate findings of previous studies by exposing men to images of the idealised male physique and demonstrating increased body dissatisfaction and negative affect. However, given the rise of social media and the suggestion that social media platforms should be investigated independently, the present study aims to update literature by using images from Instagram rather than traditional forms of media. Instagram was chosen based on the suggestion that this social media platform may be the most detrimental to body image concerns because of its sole focus on photo activity and hence the elevated opportunity for social comparison. Additionally, male participants were chosen because to the author's knowledge, the experimental studies which have exposed participants to images taken from Instagram have only recruited women.
This study also builds upon previous findings that exposure impacts upon eating disorder and muscle dysmorphia symptomatology, by ensuring that the measures used to investigate these constructs are more relevant and more valid in men. This is achieved by measuring men's intentions to modify their diet and exercise regime to increase muscularity. Dieting and exercise intentions are measured, given the limitations in directly monitoring diet and exercise through diaries and according to the theory of planned behaviour, intentions strongly predicts actual behaviour. Pre and post exposure scores are used to investigate whether exposure has an impact on these outcomes.
Moderating factors such as gym use, pre-existing body and muscle dissatisfaction and social media use are controlled for in hope of demonstrating larger effect sizes. The reason for this is because the above research suggests that those using social media more often, those not attending the gym and those with pre-existing body or muscle dissatisfaction are more at risk of body dissatisfaction and other negative effects following exposure to images of the idealised physique.
This study also builds upon research which has provided evidence for the processes underlying the relationship between exposure to idealised images and body dissatisfaction. Research suggests that social comparison is a mediating factor, however this research either draws upon traditional media rather than social media to source images or the research only utilises female participants. Therefore, this study combines the use of images taken from Instagram with the recruitment of male participants. Additionally, in the hope of providing stronger evidence for underlying processes, social comparison is measured directly (instead of being inferred). Given the suggestion that people are more likely to socially compare themselves to peers rather than models or celebrities, images used in exposure did not include models or celebrities.
Finally, this study will learn from limitations of other studies by dividing their 'average' condition into two (skinny and overweight) in addition to maintaining a muscular and control group. The purpose of this is to demonstrate the role of upward and downward social comparisons to support the social comparison theory as an explanation of the effect.
The study utilises an experimental design as there is sufficient literature to generate hypotheses to be tested. Additionally, an experimental design is a robust and controlled method of capturing the acute effects of manipulating an independent variable.
The study adopts a between subjects design with four conditions. Each participant will complete one of four online questionnaires on SurveyMonkey. The four questionnaires are identical except for the images contained within them, hence the independent variable is image type. Each questionnaire will contain 15 images of either the idealised physique (muscular, lean and low body fat), overweight physique, skinny physique or landscapes (control images). These images will be selected from a pool of images by an independent panel in the target age range in the initial stage of the study.
- Conditions
- Body Image
- Being tested
- Exposure to images
- Keywords
- Body Image, Mood, anxiety, depression, Self-esteem, Body Dysmorphia, Men, Deit, Exercise
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Exposure to imagesOther
Exposure to images
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Men aged 18-34 | Participants will be males aged 18-34. Each individual will be exposed to images of men with either a muscular, skinny or overweight physique or the control images of landscapes. Receives: Other: Exposure to images |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
State Body Satisfaction
Visual Analogue Scale of body satisfaction. Each item is scored by participants between 0-100 (0 = not at all satisfied, 100 = very satisfied).
Measured: Through study completion. Participants are asked to rate their current body satisfaction before they view the images (after approx 5 minutes) and are asked the same questions again immediately after they view the images (after approx 10-15 minutes)
Secondary outcomes (1)
Diet and Exercise Intentions
Measures participants intentions to change their diet and exercise type/frequency. Measured using a 7 point likert scale where 1 = strongly disagree and 7 = strongly agree.
Measured: Participants are asked to rate their intentions to change their diet and exercise (over the next 2-3 days) before they view the images and again immediately after they view the images.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Jun 2019
- Study start28 Mar 2019
- Primary completion20 Dec 2019
- Study completion31 Oct 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (10)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Body ImageStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 214 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Leeds
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dr Graham Finlayson, University of Leeds
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03991351
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PSC-670
- Status last verified
- Jun 2022
- First submitted
- 15 May 2019
- Last updated
- 7 Jun 2022
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Data will not be made publicly available. Data may be made available for relevant future research upon reasonable request to the research supervisor.
Publications
Blond A. Impacts of exposure to images of ideal bodies on male body dissatisfaction: a review. Body Image. 2008 Sep;5(3):244-50. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2008.02.003.
PubMed 18424245Tiggemann M, Hayden S, Brown Z, Veldhuis J. The effect of Instagram "likes" on women's social comparison and body dissatisfaction. Body Image. 2018 Sep;26:90-97. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.07.002. Epub 2018 Jul 21.
PubMed 30036748Leit RA, Gray JJ, Pope HG Jr. The media's representation of the ideal male body: a cause for muscle dysmorphia? Int J Eat Disord. 2002 Apr;31(3):334-8. doi: 10.1002/eat.10019.
PubMed 11920996Myers TA, Crowther JH. Social comparison as a predictor of body dissatisfaction: A meta-analytic review. J Abnorm Psychol. 2009 Nov;118(4):683-98. doi: 10.1037/a0016763.
PubMed 19899839Cahill S, Mussap AJ. Emotional reactions following exposure to idealized bodies predict unhealthy body change attitudes and behaviors in women and men. J Psychosom Res. 2007 Jun;62(6):631-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2006.11.001.
PubMed 17540220Arbour KP, Martin Ginis KA. Effects of exposure to muscular and hypermuscular media images on young men's muscularity dissatisfaction and body dissatisfaction. Body Image. 2006 Jun;3(2):153-61. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2006.03.004. Epub 2006 May 19.
PubMed 18089218Fardouly J, Vartanian LR. Negative comparisons about one's appearance mediate the relationship between Facebook usage and body image concerns. Body Image. 2015 Jan;12:82-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.10.004. Epub 2014 Nov 17.
PubMed 25462886Cafri G, Thompson JK, Ricciardelli L, McCabe M, Smolak L, Yesalis C. Pursuit of the muscular ideal: Physical and psychological consequences and putative risk factors. Clin Psychol Rev. 2005 Feb;25(2):215-39. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2004.09.003. Epub 2004 Dec 30.
PubMed 15642647Galioto R, Crowther JH. The effects of exposure to slender and muscular images on male body dissatisfaction. Body Image. 2013 Sep;10(4):566-73. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2013.07.009. Epub 2013 Sep 3.
PubMed 24008185Tiggemann M, Zaccardo M. "Exercise to be fit, not skinny": The effect of fitspiration imagery on women's body image. Body Image. 2015 Sep;15:61-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.06.003. Epub 2015 Jul 10.
PubMed 26176993
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 Jun 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigation Into the Impact of Exposure to Images of the Idealised Physique on Body Satisfaction, Dieting Intentions and Mood in Men.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03991351
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PSC-670
- Conditions
- Body Image
- Keywords
- Body Image, Mood, anxiety, depression, Self-esteem, Body Dysmorphia, Men, Deit, Exercise
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 214 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of LeedsUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 28 Mar 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Dec 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Oct 2020 (actual)
- First posted
- 19 Jun 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Every day, people are exposed to huge amounts of media. Research has explored the impact of viewing traditional media and advertising (such as television and magazines) on how a person thinks and feels about their body (body satisfaction). However, less is known about the impact of exposure to social media on body satisfaction. It is important to consider this now, given the rise in social media use.
The rise in social media use has made it easier for people to share images of an 'ideal' body, which for men is high muscularity and low body fat. Alongside this rise in the ideal body being shared on social media, there is a rise in male eating disorders. Research has already demonstrated that showing images of the 'ideal' body decreases body satisfaction. However, there has been little research in men and this research uses media from magazines.
The present study will update research by using images taken from Instagram and by recruiting male participants. Participants will be asked to take part in an online survey (shared on social media) which measures initial mood, body satisfaction, self-esteem and diet and exercise intentions. It will then show participants images of men with different physiques (either muscular, overweight, slender or control images of landscapes). The measures will then be repeated to see if viewing the images had any impact
Detailed description
The present study will seek to replicate findings of previous studies by exposing men to images of the idealised male physique and demonstrating increased body dissatisfaction and negative affect. However, given the rise of social media and the suggestion that social media platforms should be investigated independently, the present study aims to update literature by using images from Instagram rather than traditional forms of media. Instagram was chosen based on the suggestion that this social media platform may be the most detrimental to body image concerns because of its sole focus on photo activity and hence the elevated opportunity for social comparison. Additionally, male participants were chosen because to the author's knowledge, the experimental studies which have exposed participants to images taken from Instagram have only recruited women.
This study also builds upon previous findings that exposure impacts upon eating disorder and muscle dysmorphia symptomatology, by ensuring that the measures used to investigate these constructs are more relevant and more valid in men. This is achieved by measuring men's intentions to modify their diet and exercise regime to increase muscularity. Dieting and exercise intentions are measured, given the limitations in directly monitoring diet and exercise through diaries and according to the theory of planned behaviour, intentions strongly predicts actual behaviour. Pre and post exposure scores are used to investigate whether exposure has an impact on these outcomes.
Moderating factors such as gym use, pre-existing body and muscle dissatisfaction and social media use are controlled for in hope of demonstrating larger effect sizes. The reason for this is because the above research suggests that those using social media more often, those not attending the gym and those with pre-existing body or muscle dissatisfaction are more at risk of body dissatisfaction and other negative effects following exposure to images of the idealised physique.
This study also builds upon research which has provided evidence for the processes underlying the relationship between exposure to idealised images and body dissatisfaction. Research suggests that social comparison is a mediating factor, however this research either draws upon traditional media rather than social media to source images or the research only utilises female participants. Therefore, this study combines the use of images taken from Instagram with the recruitment of male participants. Additionally, in the hope of providing stronger evidence for underlying processes, social comparison is measured directly (instead of being inferred). Given the suggestion that people are more likely to socially compare themselves to peers rather than models or celebrities, images used in exposure did not include models or celebrities.
Finally, this study will learn from limitations of other studies by dividing their 'average' condition into two (skinny and overweight) in addition to maintaining a muscular and control group. The purpose of this is to demonstrate the role of upward and downward social comparisons to support the social comparison theory as an explanation of the effect.
The study utilises an experimental design as there is sufficient literature to generate hypotheses to be tested. Additionally, an experimental design is a robust and controlled method of capturing the acute effects of manipulating an independent variable.
The study adopts a between subjects design with four conditions. Each participant will complete one of four online questionnaires on SurveyMonkey. The four questionnaires are identical except for the images contained within them, hence the independent variable is image type. Each questionnaire will contain 15 images of either the idealised physique (muscular, lean and low body fat), overweight physique, skinny physique or landscapes (control images). These images will be selected from a pool of images by an independent panel in the target age range in the initial stage of the study.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Men aged 18-34 | – | Other: Exposure to imagesParticipants will be males aged 18-34. Each individual will be exposed to images of men with either a muscular, skinny or overweight physique or the control images of landscapes. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 34 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- Any men aged 18-34 will be recruited. Students from the University of Leeds will make up a large proportion of the sample.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Any men aged 18-34
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Females, current or historical diagnosis of eating disorders, anyone who falls outside of age limit
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure to imagesExposure to images | Other | Men aged 18-34 |
Primary outcome
State Body Satisfaction
Time frame: Through study completion. Participants are asked to rate their current body satisfaction before they view the images (after approx 5 minutes) and are asked the same questions again immediately after they view the images (after approx 10-15 minutes)
Visual Analogue Scale of body satisfaction. Each item is scored by participants between 0-100 (0 = not at all satisfied, 100 = very satisfied).
1 secondary outcome
Diet and Exercise Intentions
Time frame: Participants are asked to rate their intentions to change their diet and exercise (over the next 2-3 days) before they view the images and again immediately after they view the images.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 Jun 2022.
- Background: PubMed 18424245Blond A. Impacts of exposure to images of ideal bodies on male body dissatisfaction: a review. Body Image. 2008 Sep;5(3):244-50. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2008.02.003.
- Background: PubMed 30036748Tiggemann M, Hayden S, Brown Z, Veldhuis J. The effect of Instagram "likes" on women's social comparison and body dissatisfaction. Body Image. 2018 Sep;26:90-97. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.07.002. Epub 2018 Jul 21.
- Background: PubMed 11920996Leit RA, Gray JJ, Pope HG Jr. The media's representation of the ideal male body: a cause for muscle dysmorphia? Int J Eat Disord. 2002 Apr;31(3):334-8. doi: 10.1002/eat.10019.
- Background: PubMed 19899839Myers TA, Crowther JH. Social comparison as a predictor of body dissatisfaction: A meta-analytic review. J Abnorm Psychol. 2009 Nov;118(4):683-98. doi: 10.1037/a0016763.
- Background: PubMed 17540220Cahill S, Mussap AJ. Emotional reactions following exposure to idealized bodies predict unhealthy body change attitudes and behaviors in women and men. J Psychosom Res. 2007 Jun;62(6):631-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2006.11.001.
- Background: PubMed 18089218Arbour KP, Martin Ginis KA. Effects of exposure to muscular and hypermuscular media images on young men's muscularity dissatisfaction and body dissatisfaction. Body Image. 2006 Jun;3(2):153-61. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2006.03.004. Epub 2006 May 19.
- Background: PubMed 25462886Fardouly J, Vartanian LR. Negative comparisons about one's appearance mediate the relationship between Facebook usage and body image concerns. Body Image. 2015 Jan;12:82-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.10.004. Epub 2014 Nov 17.
- Background: PubMed 15642647Cafri G, Thompson JK, Ricciardelli L, McCabe M, Smolak L, Yesalis C. Pursuit of the muscular ideal: Physical and psychological consequences and putative risk factors. Clin Psychol Rev. 2005 Feb;25(2):215-39. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2004.09.003. Epub 2004 Dec 30.
- Background: PubMed 24008185Galioto R, Crowther JH. The effects of exposure to slender and muscular images on male body dissatisfaction. Body Image. 2013 Sep;10(4):566-73. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2013.07.009. Epub 2013 Sep 3.
- Background: PubMed 26176993Tiggemann M, Zaccardo M. "Exercise to be fit, not skinny": The effect of fitspiration imagery on women's body image. Body Image. 2015 Sep;15:61-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.06.003. Epub 2015 Jul 10.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Data will not be made publicly available. Data may be made available for relevant future research upon reasonable request to the research supervisor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Body Image, run by University of Leeds at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Jun 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
State Body Satisfaction (time frame: Through study completion. Participants are asked to rate their current body satisfaction before they view the images (after approx 5 minutes) and are asked the same questions again immediately after they view the images (after approx 10-15 minutes)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03991351, which also lists 10 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Jun 2022.