Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics for the total sample, and by dating app user status

Age (M ± SD)

20.99 ± 4.92

22.30 ± 8.47

20.28 ± 4.63

BMI (M ± SD)

22.47 ± 3.66

22.01 ± 3.73

22.11 ± 4.33

Gender (n, %)

10.06

Female

222 (71.6%)

307 (81.4%)

529 (77%)

Male

87 (28.1%)

70 (18.6%)

157 (22.9%)

Other

1 (0.3%)

0 (0%)

1 (0.1%)

Ethnicity (n, %)

24.01

White

152 (49%)

131 (34.7%)

285 (41.2%)

Eastern Asian

71 (22.9%)

140 (37.1%)

212 (30.7%)

Southern Asian/Southeast Asian

48 (15.5%)

59 (15.6%)

108 (15.6%)

Other

39 (12.6%)

47 (12.5%)

86 (12.5%)

Highest education completed (n, %)

19.96

Year 12 or below

220 (71%)

305 (80.9%)

525 (76.3%)

Certificate/diploma

19 (6.1%)

23 (6.1%)

42 (6.1%)

Bachelor’s degree

45 (14.5%)

36 (9.5%)

82 (11.9%)

Postgraduate degree

26 (8%)

13 (3.4%)

39 (5.7%)

Current paid employment status (n, %)

13.16

Employed

173 (55.8%)

158 (41.9%)

331 (48.2%)

Not employed

137 (44.2%)

219 (58.1%)

356 (51.8%)

Main language spoken at home (n, %)

18.94

English

233 (75.2%)

224 (59.4%)

458 (66.6%)

Other

77 (24.8%)

153 (40.6%)

230 (33.4%)

Sexual orientation (n, %)

13.97

Heterosexual

255 (82.3%)

343 (91%)

599 (87.1%)

Homosexual

16 (5.2%)

7 (1.9%)

23 (3.3%)

Bisexual

35 (11.3%)

21 (5.6%)

56 (8.1%)

Other

4 (1.3%)

6 (1.6%)

10 (1.5%)

Marital status (n, %)

5.43

Married

3 (0.9%)

6 (1.6%)

9 (1.3%)

De facto

13 (4.2%)

8 (2.1%)

21 (3.1%)

Separated

2 (0.6%)

1 (0.2%)

2 (0.3%)

Divorced

1 (0.3%)

1 (0.2%)

2 (0.3%)

Never married

291 (93.9%)

361 (95.8%)

654 (95.1%)

History of an eating disorder

Yes

42 (14.5%)

31 (8.5%)

73 (11.1%)

5.92

No

248 (85.5%)

335 (91.5%)

583 (88.9%)