Journal of Eating Disorders volume 7 , Article number: 16 Cite this article. Metrics details. Online dating has become increasingly popular over the years. Few research studies have examined the association between dating apps and disordered eating. In this study, we evaluated the association between dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors UWCBs among a sample of U. Our sample includes adults who completed an online survey assessing dating app use and UWCBs in the past year.
UWCBs included vomiting, laxative use, fasting, diet pill use, muscle building supplement use, and use of anabolic steroids. These findings were supported by results of additional gender-stratified multivariate logistic regression analyses among women and men. While additional longitudinal and representative research is needed, public health professionals ought to explore dating app use as a potential risk factor for UWCBs.
Dating app use is common among both men and women and these apps are often used to find romantic and sexual partners. They represent a growingly popular form of non-traditional media that provides a digital platform where people can evaluate others based on many attributes, including physical appearance.
Despite their popularity, very little research has explored dating app use in relation to eating disorders and their risk factors. In this study, we assessed the cross-sectional association between dating app use and six unhealthy weight control behaviors fasting, diet pill use, laxative use, self-induced vomiting, use of muscle-building supplements, and use of anabolic steroids using an online survey completed by more than adults in the United States.
Results showed that compared to non-users, those who used dating apps had significantly elevated odds of UWCBs. Online dating has become increasingly popular in the United States U. Fifteen percent of U. Young adults, defined as those between ages to years old, as well as older adults, those in their 50s and 60s, contributed the most to this increase in dating app usage [ 1 ]. And while they are primarily marketed as an avenue to find dates and potential romantic partners, motivations to use dating apps have evolved over time.
