The Body Positivity Movement: Bettering College Women's Body Image and Health
The Body Positivity Movement: Bettering College Women's Body Image and Health
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2023-12
Authors
Conners, Emilie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University
Abstract
Body image concerns among college-aged women continue to be an immense
issue across many college campuses. As technology continues to advance, it has become
more common for young girls and women to focus on their flaws and to edit their social
media photos to make themselves look better. Body image has a huge impact on mental
and physical health. Therefore, it is vital that the pressures young women feel about their
self-presentation on social media are addressed and fought. One movement that has been
used recently as a possible way to combat this concern is the body positivity movement.
However, more research is needed to understand the impact of this movement on young
women.
Data were collected from 609 students at Middle Tennessee State University
using a Qualtrics survey. The survey asked questions pertaining to time spent on social
media, self-image and familiarity with body positivity campaigns, as well as
demographics. The survey’s purpose was to investigate whether or not the body positivity
movement has been successful in bettering college women’s body image, so therefore the
research questions remained fairly surface level in regard to the movement. The
questions, rather, focused on behavior on social media, familiarity with body positivity
advertisement campaigns as well as on influencers who participate in the movement and
advocate for change. The results were analyzed using SPSS data analysis software.
Recommendations based on the data collected from the survey are provided.