Likes, Looks, and Learning: Associations of Adolescent Engagement in Disordered Eating with Parent, Sibling, Peer, and Social Media Influences

The present study investigates how parents, siblings, friends, and social media serve as risk or protective factors related to adolescents’ engagement in disordered eating utilizing social learning theory and the tripartite model of body image and eating disturbances as guiding frameworks. Utilizing data from the Texas Siblings Study, a 3-year longitudinal study investigating family influences on adolescent development, the study sought to evaluate: (1) parent, peer, and sibling closeness in addition to social media appearance anxiety as predictors of disordered eating behaviors and cognitions, and (2) how eating and appearance-related commentary mediate the association between parent/sibling relationship closeness and adolescent disordered eating. Path analysis results highlighted that above initial disordered eating, friendship closeness and social media appearance anxiety served as risk factors for engagement in disordered eating, and sibling closeness as a protective factor. Parent closeness was not significantly related, and sibling or parent commentary were not significant mediators between closeness and disordered eating. While the current study provides mixed findings, it does provide further evidence for differing impacts of social influences on disordered eating. Furthermore, the current study adds to the literature through the inclusion of siblings as influences, longitudinal investigation, and observing relational dynamics (i.e., closeness) as potential risk or protective factors.