Social Comparison and Its Association With Disordered Eating Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Social comparison has been widely implicated in the etiology and maintenance of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. At the same time, however, the magnitude of this relationship remains unclear, with existing studies varying widely in methodology, measurement, and sample characteristics.

To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO ID: CRD42024626732) to estimate the overall effect size of the association between social comparison and disordered eating symptoms and examine key moderators that may influence this relationship.

Searches of databases (PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, ProQuest, ETHoS, MedRxiv, and PsyArXiv) identified 305 studies comprising 383 distinct samples, with a total of 126,702 participants included. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed. A multi-level meta-analysis found a significant overall medium effect size, Zr = 0.43, p < 0.0001, 95% CI [0.4-0.45], although studies were heterogeneous, Q (1150) = 20004.8418, p < 0.001. Moderator analyses showed that effect sizes were larger in more recent studies, in samples with a higher proportion of female participants, in studies examining upward and eating-related comparisons, and in studies that used the BEECOM (Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation Measure) and the BSQ (Body Shape Questionnaire). Based on our quality assessment, a primary limitation among included studies was unclear inclusion and exclusion criteria, although most of them used appropriate analyses.

By synthesizing existing evidence, our findings support the relation between social comparison and disordered eating symptoms and inform future theoretical frameworks and prevention interventions.