The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on social network sites use, body image disturbances and self-esteem among adolescent and young women

Objective: This study aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on social network sites (SNS) use and to explore whether SNS use is associated with body image disturbances and low self-esteem. Methods: A total of 2601 women living in Spain aged 14-35 years completed questionnaire measures of SNS use, self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. In the survey, participants were asked about their use of SNS at the moment of answering the survey and before lockdown. Results: A statistically significant increase was found in the frequency of use of all studied SNS (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook) during lockdown, as well as in the number of women following appearance-focused Instagram accounts. Moreover, significant relationships were found between the frequency of Instagram use and body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness and low self-esteem in the younger age group (14-24), and between the frequency of Instagram use and drive for thinness in the older age group (25-35). Following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram was related to body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness in the younger group, and only to drive for thinness in the older group (25-35). Following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram and a higher frequency of use of Instagram significantly predicted higher levels of drive for thinness. Conclusion: These results suggest that lockdown has had an impact on SNS use, and this might be linked to increased drive for thinness and eating disorder risk among adolescent and young women

Women's body dissatisfaction, physical appearance comparisons, and Instagram use throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study

Objective: This study aimed to determine the evolution of Instagram use, body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons throughout the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and to explore whether there was a relationship between the changes in Instagram use throughout the pandemic and body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons. Method: A total of 272 Spanish women (16-70 years old) were followed-up across four waves of assessment between November 2019 (before the pandemic started) and July 2021. Body dissatisfaction, social appearance comparisons, and Instagram use were assessed using the Eating Disorders Inventory-3, the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale Revised, and an ad hoc questionnaire for Instagram use, respectively. Results: No statistically significant changes were found in the frequency of Instagram use, nor on the proportion of women following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram, among the data collection periods. Body dissatisfaction significantly increased from T1 to T4, and physical appearance comparisons significantly increased from T1 to T2, T3, and T4. These increases were not found to be significant for those with eating disorder risk. No significant differences were found in body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons depending on whether participants' frequency of Instagram use had changed or remained the same, or whether they had started/stopped/continued following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram during the pandemic. Discussion: Women's body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons seem to have increased throughout the pandemic. The experiences of individuals with eating disorder risk throughout the pandemic, and the relationship between the pandemic and Instagram use, might be complex and need further research. Public Significance: This study suggests that women's body dissatisfaction and physical appearance comparisons have increased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this increase might not be as clear for those who had eating disorder risk before the pandemic. Instagram frequency of use, and the percentage of women following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram, do not seem to have significantly increased. More research is needed to explore the impact of the pandemic

Identifying patient safety research priorities in Estonia: results of a Delphi consensus study

Short reportNo abstract availabl

Developing the University of Tartu in Estonia into a wellnetworked Patient Safety Research Centre (PATSAFE): A study protocol

Background: Patient safety (PS) is a serious global public health problem affecting all countries. Estimates show that around 10 percent of the patients are harmed during hospital care, resulting in 23 million disability-adjusted life years lost per year. Experts emphasize research advancements as a key precondition for safer care. Aim: The Patient Safety Research Centre (PATSAFE) project enhances the Institute of Clinical Medicine of the University of Tartu’s (ICM-UT) research potential and capacities in PS in order to improve and strengthen knowledge and skills in methods, techniques and experience for PS research. Methods: A strategic partnership with Avedis Donabedian Research Institute in Spain, and IQ Healthcare in the Netherlands, both international leaders in PS research, enables the development of a long-lasting knowledge exchange, allowing the ICM-UT to capitalise on its current achievements and to overcome gaps in scientific excellence in the field of PS research. These twining activities will strengthen and raise the research profile of the ICM-UT academic staff and early-stage researchers (ESRs), by implementing the hands-on training on methods, techniques, and experience in PS research. The project also encourages the active participation of early stage researchers in PS research by increasing their soft skills, to ensure the continuity and sustainability of PS research in ICM-UT. Finally, development of the research strategy on PS contributes to the long-term sustainability of PS research in Estonia. To implement these activities, PATSAFE foresees a comprehensive strategy consisting of knowledge exchange, soft research skills capacity building, strategic planning, and strong dissemination and exploitation efforts. Expected results: As a result of the project, ICM-UT will have the capacity to carry out PS research using the appropriate methodology and the competences to apply state-of-the-art evidence-based strategies for PS research

Social network sites use, body image disturbance and other psychological correlates during the COVID-19 pandemic

[eng] This thesis aimed (1) to validate the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) in a Spanish sample, (2) to examine the levels of depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, disordered eating, body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) to explore the changes in SNSs use, body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons during the pandemic, (4) to determine whether Instagram use (frequency of use and appearance-focused use) was associated with body image disturbance and low self-esteem during the initial months of the pandemic, and (5) to explore whether there was a relationship between the changes in Instagram use throughout the pandemic and body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons. Four studies were conducted. The first three studies had a cross-sectional design and the fourth one a longitudinal design. The first study, which aimed to validate the Spanish PACS-R, involved 1405 participants aged 14-64, who completed the PACS-R along with measures of body image, eating disturbances, appearance-related sociocultural influences, self-esteem, and social comparison. The second and third studies were conducted during the initial months of the pandemic and aimed to examine the levels of emotional distress and disordered eating, to assess SNSs use, body image disturbance and self-esteem, and to explore whether SNSs use was associated with body image disturbance and low self-esteem. A total of 2847 individuals aged 14-35 participated in the second study, and 2601 women aged 14-35 participated in Study 3. The fourth study aimed to determine the evolution of Instagram use, body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons throughout the pandemic, and involved 272 Spanish women (16-70 years old) that were followed-up across four waves of assessment (November 2019-July 2021). The main findings of the thesis were the following ones: (1) the Spanish PACS-R has excellent psychometric properties; (2) severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress were found in around one quarter of the sample during the initial months of the pandemic; (3) lockdown was associated with several perceived changes in different life domains; (4) following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram and a higher frequency of use of Instagram significantly predicted higher levels of drive for thinness during the initial months of the pandemic; (5) the frequency of use of SNSs and the number of women following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram might have increased with the pandemic, despite finding contradictory results; (6) body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons significantly increased throughout the pandemic, even though these increases were not found to be significant for those with previous eating disorder risk; (7) no significant differences were found in body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons depending on whether participants' frequency of Instagram use had changed or remained the same, or whether they had started, stopped or continued following[spa] La pandemia de COVID-19 ha provocado una crisis sanitaria global, y hay una considerable preocupación por su impacto en la salud mental de la población. Diversos/as autores/as han destacado el potencial impacto negativo de la pandemia y del confinamiento en las alteraciones de la imagen corporal. Además, se ha sugerido que la pandemia se podría relacionar con un aumento en el uso de redes sociales, y se sabe que el uso de redes sociales (especialmente un uso centrado en la apariencia física) es un predictor significativo de las alteraciones de la imagen corporal. Asimismo, la comparación de la apariencia física es uno de los procesos clave que actúa como variable mediadora en la relación entre el uso de redes sociales y las alteraciones de la imagen corporal. Sin embargo, la investigación en esta área es todavía limitada y muy pocos estudios han examinado las alteraciones de la imagen corporal, las comparaciones de la apariencia física o el uso de redes sociales durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Además, los estudios longitudinales con datos previos a la pandemia son escasos. Los principales objetivos de esta tesis fueron los siguientes: (1) validar la escala de comparación de la apariencia física Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) en una muestra española; (2) examinar los niveles de depresión, ansiedad, estrés, autoestima, alteraciones de la conducta alimentaria, insatisfacción corporal e impulso por la delgadez durante los primeros meses de la pandemia, (3) explorar los cambios en el uso de redes sociales (especialmente Instagram), en la insatisfacción corporal y en las comparaciones de la apariencia física durante la pandemia, (4) determinar si el uso de Instagram (frecuencia de uso y uso centrado en la apariencia) se asoció con alteraciones de la imagen corporal y la baja autoestima durante los primeros meses de la pandemia, y (5) explorar si existía una relación entre los cambios en el uso de Instagram a lo largo de la pandemia y la insatisfacción corporal y la tendencia a la comparación de la apariencia física. Un objetivo transversal de la tesis fue centrarnos en personas jóvenes y en mujeres, ya que éstos han sido dos de los colectivos más vulnerables a los efectos de la pandemia, y tanto la insatisfacción corporal como el uso de las redes sociales centrado en la apariencia física predominan en mayor medida entre los colectivos jóvenes y en mujeres que en otros grupos de población. Se realizaron cuatro estudios. Los tres primeros tuvieron un diseño transversal y el cuarto un diseño longitudinal. El primer estudio, cuyo objetivo fue crear y validar la versión española de la PACS-R, incluyó una muestra de 1405 personas de entre 14 y 64 años, que completaron la PACS-R y otros cuestionarios de imagen corporal, alteraciones alimentarias, influencias socioculturales relacionadas con la apariencia, autoestima y comparación social. El segundo y tercer estudio se llevaron a cabo durante los meses iniciales de la pandemia y sus objetivos fueron examinar los niveles de malestar emocional y alteraciones alimentarias (estudio 2), indagar en el uso de redes sociales, las alteraciones de la imagen corporal y la autoestima, y explorar la asociación entre el uso de redes sociales y las alteraciones de la imagen corporal y la autoestima (estudio 3). Un total de 2847 personas entre 14 y 35 años participaron en el segundo estudio, y 2601 mujeres de entre 14 y 35 años participaron en el tercero. El cuarto estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la evolución del uso de Instagram, la insatisfacción corporal y las comparaciones de la apariencia física a lo largo de la pandemia, y contó con una muestra de 272 mujeres españolas (16-70 años) a las que se las evaluó en cuatro momentos temporales entre noviembre de 2019 (antes del inicio de la pandemia) y julio de 2021. Los principales hallazgos de la tesis fueron los siguientes: (1) la versión española de la PACS-R tiene excelentes propiedades psicométricas, pudiendo ser una herramienta útil para medir las comparaciones de la apariencia física en poblaciones hispanohablantes; (2) se encontraron niveles graves de depresión, ansiedad y estrés en aproximadamente una cuarta parte de la muestra durante los primeros meses de la pandemia; (3) el confinamiento se asoció a varios cambios percibidos en diferentes áreas vitales; (4) el seguimiento de cuentas centradas en la apariencia en Instagram y la elevada frecuencia de uso de Instagram predecieron de forma significativa niveles elevados de impulso por la delgadez durante los primeros meses de la pandemia; (5) la frecuencia de uso de las redes sociales, así como el número de mujeres que siguen cuentas centradas en la apariencia en Instagram, podrían haber aumentado con la pandemia, aunque se encontraron resultados contradictorios; (6) la insatisfacción corporal y las comparaciones de la apariencia física aumentaron significativamente a lo largo de la pandemia, aunque no se halló que estos aumentos fueran significativos para aquellas personas con riesgo previo de trastorno de la conducta alimentaria; (7) no se encontraron diferencias significativas en la insatisfacción corporal y en las comparaciones de la apariencia física en función de los cambios en la frecuencia de uso de Instagram o de los cambios en el seguimiento de cuentas centradas en la apariencia a lo largo de la pandemia. Los resultados sugieren que la COVID-19 y su confinamiento asociado han tenido un impacto en la imagen corporal de la población y en otros aspectos psicológicos. Las experiencias de las personas con alteraciones de la conducta alimentaria durante la pandemia y la relación entre la pandemia y el uso de redes sociales pueden ser complejas y requieren de mayor investigación

Social network sites use, body image disturbance and other psychological correlates during the COVID-19 pandemic

Programa de Doctorat en Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut[eng] This thesis aimed (1) to validate the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) in a Spanish sample, (2) to examine the levels of depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, disordered eating, body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) to explore the changes in SNSs use, body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons during the pandemic, (4) to determine whether Instagram use (frequency of use and appearance-focused use) was associated with body image disturbance and low self-esteem during the initial months of the pandemic, and (5) to explore whether there was a relationship between the changes in Instagram use throughout the pandemic and body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons. Four studies were conducted. The first three studies had a cross-sectional design and the fourth one a longitudinal design. The first study, which aimed to validate the Spanish PACS-R, involved 1405 participants aged 14-64, who completed the PACS-R along with measures of body image, eating disturbances, appearance-related sociocultural influences, self-esteem, and social comparison. The second and third studies were conducted during the initial months of the pandemic and aimed to examine the levels of emotional distress and disordered eating, to assess SNSs use, body image disturbance and self-esteem, and to explore whether SNSs use was associated with body image disturbance and low self-esteem. A total of 2847 individuals aged 14-35 participated in the second study, and 2601 women aged 14-35 participated in Study 3. The fourth study aimed to determine the evolution of Instagram use, body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons throughout the pandemic, and involved 272 Spanish women (16-70 years old) that were followed-up across four waves of assessment (November 2019-July 2021). The main findings of the thesis were the following ones: (1) the Spanish PACS-R has excellent psychometric properties; (2) severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress were found in around one quarter of the sample during the initial months of the pandemic; (3) lockdown was associated with several perceived changes in different life domains; (4) following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram and a higher frequency of use of Instagram significantly predicted higher levels of drive for thinness during the initial months of the pandemic; (5) the frequency of use of SNSs and the number of women following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram might have increased with the pandemic, despite finding contradictory results; (6) body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons significantly increased throughout the pandemic, even though these increases were not found to be significant for those with previous eating disorder risk; (7) no significant differences were found in body dissatisfaction and appearance comparisons depending on whether participants' frequency of Instagram use had changed or remained the same, or whether they had started, stopped or continued following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram during the pandemic.[spa] La pandemia de COVID-19 ha provocado una crisis sanitaria global, y hay una considerable preocupación por su impacto en la salud mental de la población. Diversos/as autores/as han destacado el potencial impacto negativo de la pandemia y del confinamiento en las alteraciones de la imagen corporal. Además, se ha sugerido que la pandemia se podría relacionar con un aumento en el uso de redes sociales, y se sabe que el uso de redes sociales (especialmente un uso centrado en la apariencia física) es un predictor significativo de las alteraciones de la imagen corporal. Asimismo, la comparación de la apariencia física es uno de los procesos clave que actúa como variable mediadora en la relación entre el uso de redes sociales y las alteraciones de la imagen corporal. Sin embargo, la investigación en esta área es todavía limitada y muy pocos estudios han examinado las alteraciones de la imagen corporal, las comparaciones de la apariencia física o el uso de redes sociales durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Además, los estudios longitudinales con datos previos a la pandemia son escasos. Los principales objetivos de esta tesis fueron los siguientes: (1) validar la escala de comparación de la apariencia física Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) en una muestra española; (2) examinar los niveles de depresión, ansiedad, estrés, autoestima, alteraciones de la conducta alimentaria, insatisfacción corporal e impulso por la delgadez durante los primeros meses de la pandemia, (3) explorar los cambios en el uso de redes sociales (especialmente Instagram), en la insatisfacción corporal y en las comparaciones de la apariencia física durante la pandemia, (4) determinar si el uso de Instagram (frecuencia de uso y uso centrado en la apariencia) se asoció con alteraciones de la imagen corporal y la baja autoestima durante los primeros meses de la pandemia, y (5) explorar si existía una relación entre los cambios en el uso de Instagram a lo largo de la pandemia y la insatisfacción corporal y la tendencia a la comparación de la apariencia física. Un objetivo transversal de la tesis fue centrarnos en personas jóvenes y en mujeres, ya que éstos han sido dos de los colectivos más vulnerables a los efectos de la pandemia, y tanto la insatisfacción corporal como el uso de las redes sociales centrado en la apariencia física predominan en mayor medida entre los colectivos jóvenes y en mujeres que en otros grupos de población. Se realizaron cuatro estudios. Los tres primeros tuvieron un diseño transversal y el cuarto un diseño longitudinal. El primer estudio, cuyo objetivo fue crear y validar la versión española de la PACS-R, incluyó una muestra de 1405 personas de entre 14 y 64 años, que completaron la PACS-R y otros cuestionarios de imagen corporal, alteraciones alimentarias, influencias socioculturales relacionadas con la apariencia, autoestima y comparación social. El segundo y tercer estudio se llevaron a cabo durante los meses iniciales de la pandemia y sus objetivos fueron examinar los niveles de malestar emocional y alteraciones alimentarias (estudio 2), indagar en el uso de redes sociales, las alteraciones de la imagen corporal y la autoestima, y explorar la asociación entre el uso de redes sociales y las alteraciones de la imagen corporal y la autoestima (estudio 3). Un total de 2847 personas entre 14 y 35 años participaron en el segundo estudio, y 2601 mujeres de entre 14 y 35 años participaron en el tercero. El cuarto estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la evolución del uso de Instagram, la insatisfacción corporal y las comparaciones de la apariencia física a lo largo de la pandemia, y contó con una muestra de 272 mujeres españolas (16-70 años) a las que se las evaluó en cuatro momentos temporales entre noviembre de 2019 (antes del inicio de la pandemia) y julio de 2021. Los principales hallazgos de la tesis fueron los siguientes: (1) la versión española de la PACS-R tiene excelentes propiedades psicométricas, pudiendo ser una herramienta útil para medir las comparaciones de la apariencia física en poblaciones hispanohablantes; (2) se encontraron niveles graves de depresión, ansiedad y estrés en aproximadamente una cuarta parte de la muestra durante los primeros meses de la pandemia; (3) el confinamiento se asoció a varios cambios percibidos en diferentes áreas vitales; (4) el seguimiento de cuentas centradas en la apariencia en Instagram y la elevada frecuencia de uso de Instagram predecieron de forma significativa niveles elevados de impulso por la delgadez durante los primeros meses de la pandemia; (5) la frecuencia de uso de las redes sociales, así como el número de mujeres que siguen cuentas centradas en la apariencia en Instagram, podrían haber aumentado con la pandemia, aunque se encontraron resultados contradictorios; (6) la insatisfacción corporal y las comparaciones de la apariencia física aumentaron significativamente a lo largo de la pandemia, aunque no se halló que estos aumentos fueran significativos para aquellas personas con riesgo previo de trastorno de la conducta alimentaria; (7) no se encontraron diferencias significativas en la insatisfacción corporal y en las comparaciones de la apariencia física en función de los cambios en la frecuencia de uso de Instagram o de los cambios en el seguimiento de cuentas centradas en la apariencia a lo largo de la pandemia. Los resultados sugieren que la COVID-19 y su confinamiento asociado han tenido un impacto en la imagen corporal de la población y en otros aspectos psicológicos. Las experiencias de las personas con alteraciones de la conducta alimentaria durante la pandemia y la relación entre la pandemia y el uso de redes sociales pueden ser complejas y requieren de mayor investigación

Global Healthcare Needs Related to COVID-19 : An Evidence Map of the First Year of the Pandemic

FADQThis work was funded by the Foundation for Biosanitary Research and Innovation in Primary Care (FIIBAP) and the Regional Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid through non-refundable grants from the credits awarded to the Community of Madrid by the Spanish Government Fund COVID-19, included in Order HAC/667/2020.The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps and areas of need in health systems worldwide. This work aims to map the evidence on COVID-19-related healthcare needs of adult patients, their family members, and the professionals involved in their care during the first year of the pandemic. We searched the databases MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts and assessed full texts for eligibility. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. Descriptive data were extracted and inductive qualitative content analysis was used to generate codes and derive overarching themes. Thirty-six studies met inclusion criteria, with the majority reporting needs from the perspective of professionals (35/36). Professionals' needs were grouped into three main clusters (basic, occupational, and psycho-socio-emotional needs); patients' needs into four (basic, healthcare, psycho-socio-emotional, and other support needs); and family members' needs into two (psycho-socio-emotional and communication needs). Transversal needs across subgroups were also identified and grouped into three main clusters (public safety, information and communication, and coordination and support needs). This evidence map provides valuable insight on COVID-19-related healthcare needs. More research is needed to assess first-person perspectives of patients and their families, examine whether needs differ by country or region, and evaluate how needs have evolved over time