Aspects of the media and their relevance to bulimic attitudes and tendencies among female college students

We examined whether media pressures would mediate the association between two dimensions of the media (source of information and internalization) and bulimic attitudes/tendencies. The study sample consisted of 106 female college students (M age = 19.9; range = 18–22). Participants completed anonymous, self-report measures on media influences on body image and appearance as well as disordered eating attitudes/behaviors. Findings showed that the association between two dimensions of the media (source of information and internalization) and bulimic attitudes/tendencies was mediated by perceived media pressures. Such findings highlight the significant influence of media pressures on bulimic attitudes/tendencies. Future research and prevention implications are discussed.