Mothers and young adolescent daughters in the online world: Navigating dynamics, understanding maternal modelling of psychosocial health and physical activity behaviours, and collaboratively creating educational materials

In the offline world, research suggests that the mother/daughter relationship influences every stage of the daughter’s development and self-perception (Flaake, 2005), with the mother serving as a central role model and critical influencer in the positive growth of their daughters. However, the ever important mother/daughter relationship has become further complicated and/or redefined as connection and communication now extends into the ever evolving online world. Spending time online and particularly on social networking sites (SNSs) appears to be a part of daily behaviour for most Canadians (Statistics Canada, 2019). With maternal modelling existing offline between mothers and daughters, a similar influence could be exercised by the fast evolution of the digital environment and culture, thus making it imperative that online mother/daughter relationships be further considered. In addition, research suggests that parents feel unprepared to raise children in today’s online, media-rich world (Yardi & Bruckman, 2011), therefore, parent education programs/tools are needed to help guide appropriate navigation. As such, the purpose of this dissertation was to better understand the mother/daughter relationship on SNSs by exploring maternal modelling in relation to several psychosocial health and physical activity variables. Moreover, an overall goal of this dissertation was to use action research to develop a community-academic partnership (CAP) to create an evidence-based, sustainable, and usable outreach service for a community organization, for mothers, to use and evaluate in the future. These objectives were accomplished in three empirical studies. In Study 1 (Chapter 2) the mother/daughter dynamic on SNSs, with particular emphasis on exploring the SNS-related influences and understanding what role mothers play in developing their daughters\u27 SNS beliefs, attitudes, social norms, and behaviours as well as to determine what daughters have learned from their mothers about SNSs, was examined through focus groups. Using a deductive and inductive approach, thematic analysis revealed five themes: being your authentic self, co-creating a digital footprint and online expectations, mother as a role model, connecting offline, and transmission of beauty ideals. The objective of Study 2 (Chapter 3) was to understand the dyadic relationships between SNS behaviours (i.e., use, photo activities, and interaction activities) and self-esteem, body satisfaction, societal and interpersonal aspects of appearance ideals, eating disorder symptoms/concerns, and physical activity behaviours among mothers and their daughters, through an online survey. Using a pooled regression Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) approach, results indicated that SNS behaviours predicted outcome variables for both mothers and daughter individually, as well as mothers’ SNS behaviours predicted daughters’ outcome variables. Lastly, using action research, in Study 3 (Chapter 4) the development phase of a CAP that designed a workshop and interactive toolkit (based on the formative research collected in Study 1 and 2) to educate mothers on how to navigate SNSs appropriately and create a positive digital footprint while fostering a transformative learning experience for the mothers with the desired impact to then reach their daughter, was explored. Findings suggest that although both collaborative processes (interpersonal and operational) were referenced as influential facilitating factors during the CAP’s development, operational processes were expressed as facilitating factors more often. The findings of this dissertation can be used to better understand online mother/daughter relationships, inform future research designs or directions, and make contribution to action research as it pertains to the development of parent education

#LancerHealth: Using Twitter and Instagram as a tool in a campus wide health promotion initiative

The present study aimed to explore using popular technology that people already have/use as a health promotion tool, in a campus wide social media health promotion initiative, entitled #LancerHealth. During a two-week period the university community was asked to share photos on Twitter and Instagram of What does being healthy on campus look like to you?, while tagging the image with #LancerHealth. All publically tagged media was collected using the Netlytic software and analysed. Text analysis (N=234 records, Twitter; N=141 records, Instagram) revealed that the majority of the conversation was positive and focused on health and the university. Social network analysis, based on five network properties, showed a small network with little interaction. Lastly, photo coding analysis (N=71 unique image) indicated that the majority of the shared images were of physical activity (52%) and on campus (80%). Further research into this area is warranted

#SocialMedia: Exploring the Associations of Social Networking Sites and Body Image, Self-Esteem, Disordered Eating and/or Eating Disorders and the Impact of a Media Literacy Intervention

The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between SNSs and body image (BI), self-esteem (SE), and eating behaviours (EBs)/eating disorders (EDs) (Study A) and to evaluate the impact of a media literacy intervention (Study B). A sample of young adults (N = 160) completed Study A and then were randomly assigned to a control or intervention group (Study B). A follow-up survey was completed (n = 78) one month after the intervention. Study A revealed that females and males spent 4.1±5.3 and 2.9±2.8 hours on SNS, respectively; with the majority of time spent lurking (i.e., looking at another users’ profile but not actually communicating with them). Furthermore, SNSs may impact internalization of beauty standards, SE, and EBs/EDs. The media literacy intervention was successful in decreasing ED symptoms/concerns. Therefore, educational tools, should be created to teach of the possible negative implications SNS usage can have

#orthorexia on Instagram: Exploring the online conversation and community using the Netlytic software

Background: Orthorexia nervosa is the pathological obsession for consuming only biologically pure food that may lead to the development of specific ritualistic attitudes towards food preparation and the restriction of specific food groups that can be harmful to one’s health (Zamora et al., 2005; Matera, 2012). Aim: Due to the rise in popularity with Instagram and online eating disorder communities, and the potential negative outcomes on psychosocial health, the purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate images tagged with #orthorexia on Instagram over 7 days. Methods: A mixed methods approach was utilized for this study. A text analysis was conducted using the Netlytic program (Gruzd, 2016) to explore for emerging themes of discussion specifically using word count frequency, and a network analysis using both a name network (i.e., who mentions whom) and a chain network (i.e., who replies to whom) was performed. Among a subsample of images, author/image information was manually obtained, and a coding scheme (adapted from Tiggemann and Zaccardo, 2016) was implemented for a subsample of images (results pending). Results: Among the 4,533 records downloaded, there were 48,780 unique words associated with the posts (in the description of the picture or in the comment section). Majority of most commonly used words were associated with eating disorder recovery (i.e., 425 instances of #edrecovery; 340 instances of #recovery; 297 instances of #eatingdisorderrecovery). The chain network/direct interactions analysis indicated a large online presence with 1,503 nodes (i.e., users) and 1,803 ties (i.e., direct replies between users). The coding of #orthorexia images is pending but will help us further understand the orthorexia online community. Conclusions: As the network analysis and text analysis suggested an eating disorder recovery theme, this suggests that Instagram may be being used as a supportive and interactive community for those who have/had symptoms of orthorexia

Exploring the role of in-person components for online health behavior change interventions: Can a digital person-to-person component suffice?

© Sara Santarossa, Deborah Kane, Charlene Y Senn, Sarah J Woodruff. The growth of the digital environment provides tremendous opportunities to revolutionize health behavior change efforts. This paper explores the use of Web-based, mobile, and social media health behavior change interventions and determines whether there is a need for a face-to-face or an in-person component. It is further argued that that although in-person components can be beneficial for online interventions, a digital person-to-person component can foster similar results while dealing with challenges faced by traditional intervention approaches. Using a digital person-to-person component is rooted in social and behavioral theories such as the theory of reasoned action, and the social cognitive theory, and further justified by the human support constructs of the model of supportive accountability. Overall, face-to-face and online behavior change interventions have their respective advantages and disadvantages and functions, yet both serve important roles. It appears that it is in fact human support that is the most important component in the effectiveness and adherence of both face-to-face and online behavior change interventions, and thoughtfully introducing a digital person-to-person component, to replace face-to-face interactions, can provide the needed human support while diminishing the barriers of in-person meetings. The digital person-to-person component must create accountability, generate opportunities for tailored feedback, and create social support to successfully create health behavior change. As the popularity of the online world grows, and the interest in using the digital environment for health behavior change interventions continues to be embraced, further research into not only the use of online interventions, but the use of a digital person-to-person component, must be explored

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity in Children: A Systematic Review

Background: Extended lockdowns established to minimize the spread of COVID-19, may have affected physical activity (PA). The objective of this systematic review was to report how PA of children was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A database search of CINAHOL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and Web of Science was conducted on 03/29/2021 in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were included if they reported a measure of PA for children ≤18 years and were published in English in a peer-reviewed journal. The search generated 673 unique citations. After applying the criteria above, 69 articles were included. The quality of the included articles was assessed using the NIH NHLBI Study Quality Assessment Toolbox. Results: Unstructured play, walking, and virtual PA (e.g., YouTube, online classes) were the most frequently reported modes of PA during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PA of children decreased among 89% of articles that reported changes in PA (e.g., frequency, intensity, duration, or the percentage of children who met PA recommendations) of children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased PA was reported more often among younger children, boys, children who lived with other children, and children with more outdoor space. Conclusion: Globally, PA of children decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further work is needed to develop policies to support global PA increases. Limitations of this review include the use of online surveys which are limited by participants ability to recall PA behaviors and access to online resources

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity in Children: A Systematic Rapid Review

Background: Prolonged lockdowns, put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, may have altered physical activity (PA). The goal of this systematic rapid review was to synthesize the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PA of children. Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to conduct a database search on 03/29/2021. Included studies were peer- reviewed, in English language, and encompassed both a measure of PA during the COVID-19 pandemic and PA data for children aged 18 and younger. The database search yielded 677 unique citations and, ultimately, 69 articles were included in the review. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, frequently reported PA included walking, unstructured play, and virtual PA through online platforms. Of the articles that reported changes in PA of children during the COVID-19 pandemic, 89% reported PA (e.g., frequency, intensity, duration, or the percentage of children who met PA recommendations) of children decreased. Boys, younger children, children who lived with other children, and children with more outdoor play space had higher levels of PA. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in decreased PA among children around the world. Further work is needed to develop policies to support global PA increases