Dr Nova Deighton-Smith
Senior Lecturer Leeds Beckett
- Leeds
Nova Deighton-Smith works to increase awareness of body image issues and eating disorders across Universities and schools.
Media
Social
Biography
Nova is currently an Academic Adviser for Level 4 and 5 students and has previously worked as Admissions Tutor for the BSc (hons) Psychology course.
Industry Expertise
Areas of Expertise
Languages
- English
Media Appearances
Interview with Senior Lecturer Nova Deighton-Smith
School of Humanities and Social Sciences Blog online
2019-12-11
There are probably only a few that know that I used to be a Financial Adviser selling pensions, investments and mortgages. But my maternity leave came just as the world experienced 9/11 and the subsequent stock market crash. I returned only to be faced with horrendous sales targets that were completely unrealistic unless I was willing to travel and work across a 7-day week.
Event Appearances
Body Image & Eating Disorders Awareness Week: A Case Study
BPS Annual Conference Nottingham, UK
ositive body image and the role of self-esteem in pregnancy
Appearance Matters 6 Wills Memorial Building, Bristol, UK
Is the #fitspiration culture on social media inspirational, healthy, or harmful? A content analysis of Instagram images
Appearance Matters 6 Wills Memorial Building, Bristol, UK
Articles
Following Up on #Fitspiration: A Comparative Content Analysis and Thematic Analysis of Social Media Content Aiming to Inspire Fitness From 2014 and 2021
Psychology of Popular Media2024
Creating and sharing content that ostensibly inspires fitness remains a popular use of Instagram. This study aims to understand constructions of fitness motivation in Instagram posts labeled “#fitspiration” from 2021 and draw comparisons to posts from 2014. A data set of 1,000 posts (n = 790 after exclusion criteria applied) labeled #fitspiration was extracted in January 2021 and compared to an analysis of 1,000 posts extracted in January 2014 (n = 944 postexclusions; Deighton-Smith & Bell, 2018).
“Hang in there mama!”: The role of online parenting forums in maternal mental health
Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace2022
The perinatal period can be challenging and yet reluctance to disclose wellbeing concerns to health professionals is well documented. The current study sought to explore how women use online parenting forums to seek advice and support for maternal mental health concerns. Forum threads (n = 153) from a popular UK parenting website were analysed to explore postpartum mothers’ discussions about their maternal mental health.
Men’s Baldness Stigma and Body Dissatisfaction
International Journal of Men's Social and Community Health2021
Head hair forms a central component of the sociocultural male appearance ideal (e.g., mesomorphic, tall, young and not bald) and carries masculine connotations and stigma. Immense pressures to conform to this male appearance ideal gives rise to body dissatisfaction.
‘When you think of exercising, you don’t really want to think of puking, tears, and pain’: Young adolescents’ understanding of fitness and #fitspiration
Journal of Health Psychology2019
Adolescents access information about fitness, including content labelled as #fitspiration, through social media. A total of 77 adolescents (mean age = 12.49; standard deviation = 0.55; girls = 27) participated in semi-structured focus groups to explore their perspectives on #fitspiration and fitness more broadly.
Objectifying fitness: A content and thematic analysis of #fitspiration images on social media.
Psychology of Popular Media Culture2018
Research suggests that exposure to #fitspiration content can result in increased body dissatisfaction. Employing a data-driven approach, the present study examines the nature of images and text contained within #fitspiration posts on social media.
