An Investigation of Socioeconomic Status and Body Image Among Hook-Up App Users

Abstract

Objective: The popularity of dating/hook-up apps such as Tinder is on the rise. Although these apps offer some positive benefits (e.g., friendship, romantic relationships), their use is also related to negative body image, which has negative health and mental health consequences. As such, it is critical to identify predictors (e.g., socioeconomic status) of body image among individuals who use dating/hook-up mobile apps. Understanding how socioeconomic status (SES) relates to body image has the potential to inform interventions, including policy-level efforts, that aim to improve body image. Method: We examined relationships among SES and two measures of body image (i.e., body image self-consciousness and body appreciation) while controlling for age, gender identity, and race among a sample of cisgender adults in the United States who used a dating/hook-up app within the last month (N=342). Results: SES was significantly related to body appreciation and body image self-consciousness (β=−.28 and β=.54, respectively). Conclusions: Results suggest that SES may be related to body image, with low SES related to worse body image among this population. Our findings have implications for intervention research and societal-level efforts, such as policy interventions to mitigate poverty and socioeconomic disparities.