Media influence, body image, and eating disturbances among female university students: A mediation analysis

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between media influence, body image, and eating disturbances among female university students in Pakistan, with a specific focus on the mediating role of body image dissatisfaction. Grounded in the media transmission pathway of the Tripartite Influence Model, the investigation isolated the role of media-driven appearance pressures. A sample of 311 female students from universities in Rawalpindi and Islamabad was selected through convenience sampling. Participants completed the Socio-cultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3; media subscales), the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIQ), and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Quantitative analyses revealed that body image dissatisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between media influence and specific subscales of eating disturbances, including dieting and bulimia and food preoccupation (p < .05). The findings underscore the central role of body image as an explanatory mechanism through which media-driven appearance pressures foster maladaptive eating attitudes. The findings highlight the importance of considering body image in understanding the relationship between sociocultural appearance pressures and disturbed eating attitudes among female students. These findings may help to guide culturally sensitive awareness campaigns and preventive measures aimed at encouraging positive body image and healthy eating habits among Pakistan's young women.