Interrogating the Social Construction of Food and Body Weight Ideals and Their Implications for Disordered Eating Behaviours Among University Women in Nigeria

The social construction of ideal body weight and food norms intersects with media exposure, cultural values, and educational environment to shape food-related behaviours among young women in Nigeria. While disordered eating has historically been conceptualised as a condition of high-income Western contexts, emerging evidence suggests its prevalence is rising in Nigerian university settings. This study interrogated the social construction of food and body ideals and their implications for disordered eating behaviours among women at federal universities in three geopolitical zones: South West, South East, and North Central Nigeria. A critical constructivist mixed-methods design was employed, combining a survey of 480 female undergraduates using validated disordered eating screeners with participatory focus group discussions and narrative interviews. Social constructions of ideal body and food norms were documented through media content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis of participant accounts. Structural equation modelling tested hypothesised pathways from social construction exposure to eating behaviour. Results showed that 22 percent of participants screened positive for disordered eating behaviours. Internalisation of thin-ideal body standards mediated the relationship between social media exposure and disordered eating. Traditional cultural appreciation for fuller body forms acted as a protective buffer in some respondents but was eroding under media influence. Campus food environment and peer body talk were amplifying factors. The study contributes original critical feminist and nutrition science perspectives to disordered eating research in the African context. Keywords: disordered eating, body ideals, social construction, university women, Nigeria