A social network approach to analyzing body dissatisfaction among sorority members using two network generators

Abstract

Objective: This article uses social network analysis (SNA) to analyze how various measures of social connectedness relate to body dissatisfaction (BD) in sorority members.

Participants: 208 sorority members participated in the study.

Methods: Measures of social connectedness (network variables) were created based on two relational networks: persons members felt closest to and persons they spent the most time with. SNA tested whether demographic variables, body mass index (BMI), compulsive exercise, and network variables were related to BD in both networks.

Results: Members reported BD was related to less social connectedness in the “close-to” and the “time-spent” networks, although specific network variables varied between the two. Compulsive exercise, BMI, and grade classification were related to BD in both networks.

Conclusions: How a sorority member connects to others in her network could impact BD in this population. This study supports efforts facilitating increased social connection within a sorority as a means to decrease BD.

Keywords:

• Body image
• Greek life
• social network analysis