#waistgangsociety: Black Women’s Health Information—seeking Behaviors Concerning Body Modification Products Advertised on Instagram

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this project is to determine the health information-seeking behaviors of Black women who use self-modification devices advertised on Instagram, and how they identify and negotiate risk factors related to these products. Forty-two interviews with Black women reveal that in seeking health risk information related to the devices, the women initially explored social media comments about the devices, replied with questions to the commenters, sent direct messages to people who indicated they bought the devices, and searched hashtags. They further clarified information beyond social media by searching Google, browsing websites like WebMD and Healthline, and reviewing accessible peer-reviewed sources. The health risk information was further confirmed with word-of-mouth firsthand experience or by testing the product on their own. Participants developed their own modification barometers to gauge what health impacts they were willing to accept in order to get the desired physical outcome. Advertisers or promoters can provide explicit and accurate details about the health risks of products, to provide transparency and valuable health information to consumers as they navigate their own modification barometers.

Acknowledgments

For my love, Emery and the Black women who shared their experiences. Thank you reviewers for your extensive, detailed feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author..

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Florida International University Department of Communication Global Strategic Communication Auxiliary Fund and National Communication Association Black Caucus.