Journal Article

Outcomes of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of the SoMe Social Media Literacy Program for Improving Body Image-Related Outcomes in Adolescent Boys and Girls

Slater, Amy, Gordon, Chloe S., Rodgers, Rachel F., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Matthew, Jarman, Hannah K., Paxton, Susan J., McLean, Siân A.

2021

Overview

Although the negative effect of social media use among youth on body image and eating concerns has been established, few classroom-based resources that can decrease these effects through targeting social media literacy skills have been developed. This study aimed to test the efficacy of SoMe, a social media literacy body image, dieting, and wellbeing program for adolescents, through a cluster randomized controlled trial. Participants (n = 892; Mage = 12.77, SD = 0.74; range 11–15; 49.5% male) were randomized by school (n = 8) to receive either weekly SoMe (n = 483) or control sessions (lessons as usual; n = 409) over 4 weeks in their classroom. Participants completed surveys at four timepoints (baseline, 1-week post-intervention, and 6- and 12-month follow-up) assessing body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, strategies to increase muscles (primary outcomes), self-esteem and depressive symptoms (secondary outcomes), and internalization of appearance ideals and appearance comparison (exploratory outcomes). Modest positive intervention effects were found in dietary restraint and depressive symptoms at 6-month follow-up in girls but few positive effects emerged for boys. The findings provide only preliminary support for a social media literacy intervention, but suggest the usefulness of both identifying those who benefit most from a universally delivered intervention and the need to refine the intervention to maximize intervention effects.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Adolescent / adolescents / body dissatisfaction / Body Dissatisfaction - psychology / Body image / Body Image - psychology / Boys / Child / Children & youth / Clinical trials / Cluster Analysis / Depression - prevention & control / Depression - psychology / Diet - psychology / dietary restriction / Eating disorders / Feeding and Eating Disorders - prevention & control / Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology / Feeding Behavior - psychology / Female / Girls / Health education / Health literacy / Humans / Internet-Based Intervention / Intervention / literacy / Literacy - psychology / Male / males / Media literacy / Peers / School Health Services / Schools / Self Concept / Self esteem / Self image / Social Media / Social networks / Students - psychology / Surveys and Questionnaires / Teenagers / youth