THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE DIETARY HABITS OF FEMALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETES

Abstract

Disordered eating patterns have previously shown to be a common concern in female collegiate athletes. While the usage of social media has proven to have an influence on diet in the general population, there is limited research on its influence on female collegiate athletes. This study examines the trends between social media with diet and eating behaviors. A survey was distributed to various female athletes involved in club sports at the University of Arizona. The survey consisted of content relating to physical activity, diet, eating behaviors, and social media usage. Trends and correlations were made via data analysis to identify possible correlations between social media usage and eating behaviors. Based on the results and findings, the study discusses what kind of impact social media is making on dietary habits of female collegiate athletes as it relates to the time spent on social media, whether it is used for nutrition information, and their personal perception of social media's influence on them. This study further offers suggestions as to why the results and analysis resulted in many insignificant findings, and how to gather stronger data in future research. This study involves athletes in women's club sports at the University of Arizona, with the majority participating in women's rugby.