Women’s preferences for images mitigating the adverse effects of fitspiration: Qualitative study

‘Fitspiration’ is a popular social media trend focussed on sharing images and information to inspire users to engage in fitness and other health-related behaviours. As fitspiration typically portrays the thin-athletic ideal, it has been associated with negative impacts on body image and mood. This study aimed to determine the acceptability of different images displaying diverse body types or social media literacy messages, as approaches to mitigate the harmful effects of fitspiration. We held two focus groups in Victoria, Australia comprising a total of 15 women aged 18-29 to evaluate the acceptability of different intervention images. Participants expressed a preference for visual images with a positive framing, particularly those showing diverse bodies. Findings emphasised the importance of developing content alongside the target audience, to ensure that it is perceived as relevant and genuine. Recommendations are provided to inform the further development and testing of a fitspiration social media intervention.