Towards prevention of self-objectification in young female athletes on social media : instagram posting patterns of female elite athletes in aesthetic and non-aesthetic individual sports

• Background Elite athletes are role models for young sportspersons regarding social media use. Self-objectification, including self-sexualizing, contributes to body dissatisfaction and body shame, especially in young females. For efficient prevention of self-objectification, knowledge is needed about elite athletes’ self-presentation on social media.Objective To compare social media postings indicative of self-objectification among female elite athletes in an aesthetic and a non-aesthetic individual sport and by age.Design Cross-sectional quantitative visual content analysis study.Setting Instagram on October 1st, 2021.Participants All Swedish elite female athletes aged 16 years or older with open Instagram accounts in figure skaters (n=26) and athletics (track and field) athletes (n=40).Assessment of Risk Factors The 30 most recently posted images were identified from each athlete’s Instagram account (Figure). Following exclusion of non-topical images, a panel (4 women/4 men) individually scored factors indicative of self-objectification in the remaining images. The scores were analyzed quantitatively by sport (figure skating/athletics) and age group (age-cut at 21 years).Main Outcome Measurements Proportion of sexually suggestive images in Instagram postings.Results In total, 1,869 images were analyzed; 669 posted by figure skaters and 1200 by athletics athletes. Seventy-four images (4%) were classified as containing sexually suggestive content. Figure skaters posted more images with sexually suggestive content (p=0.032) than athletics athletes (especially images with sexual posing (p=0.005) and sexualized body parts in focus (chest (p=0.049); hip-region (p=0.001)). Younger athletes published more images interpreted to contain sexual suggestion than older athletes (p<0.001) (especially images focusing on the chest (p=0.008)).

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Idrottsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Sport and Fitness Sciences (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap -- Kommunikationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Media and Communications -- Communication Studies (hsv//eng)

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