Is thin in everywhere?: A cross-cultural comparison of a subsection of Tripartite Influence Model in Australia and Malaysia

Adaptation and validation of the Body Image Life Disengagement Questionnaire (BILD-Q) for use in english among adolescents in urban India

Body image concerns are a global issue among adolescents, including in India. These concerns can prevent adolescents from engaging in everyday life activities, impeding social and academic development. However, at present, there are no psychometrically valid measures to assess such impact in the Indian context. This study culturally adapted and validated the Body Image Life Disengagement Questionnaire (BILD-Q) for use in English among adolescents in urban India. A total of 1427 adolescents completed an adapted version of the BILD-Q along with additional measures pertaining to body image. Exploratory factor analysis identified one dimension of body image life disengagement, which provided the best fit. The 9-item one-factor model was further supported by confirmatory factor analysis. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency and test re-test reliability. Further analysis demonstrated that the scale can be used to compare scores between boys and girls without measurement bias. This study presents a culturally adapted version of the BILD-Q, which can be used as a valid and reliable measure to assess the impact of body image concerns on life disengagement among English-speaking adolescents in urban India.

My mother, sisters, and I: Investigating the role of female family members in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours among young Middle-Eastern women

The global rise in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating concerns is apparent; however, limited research in Middle-Eastern populations gives an incomplete understanding of these concerns. The present study recruited 377 young women aged 18 to 25 years from the Middle-East for an online survey to determine how female family members may contribute to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. Guided by the Tripartite Influence Model, we investigated the relationships between appearance pressures and fat talk, from mothers and sister(s), in predicting body dissatisfaction, and in turn, disordered eating symptomatology (restriction and bulimia), as mediated by appearance comparisons and internalisation of the thin-ideal. Overall, greater appearance pressures and fat talk from mothers and sister(s) were associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating symptomatology. Greater reported closeness in mother-daughter relationships, but not sister relationships, was associated with less perceived appearance pressure and fat talk by mothers, and lower appearance comparisons, body dissatisfaction and bulimia symptomatology. Finally, participants perceived greater appearance pressure from their mothers than their sister(s), but there was no difference in their perceived levels of fat talk. Findings demonstrate the applicability of a subsection of the Tripartite Influence Model in a non-Western and understudied population, namely in young Middle-Eastern women.

Variables that explain disordered eating behaviors among women: the mediating role of body dissatisfaction

PURPOSE

To analyze the role of body dissatisfaction in the relationships of sociocultural influences, depression, and anxiety with disordered eating behaviors (DEB) in a sample of female Mexican university students.

METHODS

A nonrandom sample of 526 female Mexican university students aged 18 to 25 years completed the Questionnaire of Influence on the Aesthetic Model of Body Shape (CIMEC-26), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-8D) and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26).

RESULTS

Through the mean model (χ2/df (5, n = 526) = 7.298, p = .199; NFI = .996; CFI = .999; RMSEA = .030; SRMR = .011), body dissatisfaction was found to mediate the relationships of influence of advertising, influence of social models and anxiety with DEB (restrictive dieting and bulimia). The variable with the most direct effect on restrictive dieting and bulimia was the influence of advertising. Body dissatisfaction partially mediated this relationship, as the influence of advertising had a significant direct effect on restrictive dieting and bulimia. The final model of direct and indirect effects explained 43% and 22% of the variance in restrictive dieting and bulimia, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed that body dissatisfaction partially mediated the relationships between influence of advertising, influence of social models, and anxiety with DEB among women. Thus, these variables should be taken into account in prevention and intervention programs targeting BED.

LEVEL V

Evidence obtained from a cross-sectional descriptive study.

LEVEL V

Evidence obtained from a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Exploring the tripartite influence model of body image and disordered eating among adolescent girls living in Australia, China, India, and Iran

The aim of this study was to evaluate the tripartite influence model of body image and disordered eating among 12-18-year-old girls (N = 900) living in Australia (n = 184), China (n = 293), India (n = 223), and Iran (n = 200). Participants completed measures about appearance pressures from family, peers, and media, thin-ideal internalization, appearance comparisons, appearance satisfaction, and disordered eating. Results indicated that media- pressures were most salient in Australia, whereas Iranians perceived family pressures to be the strongest. Indians felt the most pressure to look attractive from their family and peers, whereas Chinese felt similar levels of pressure from family, peers, and media. Path analyses suggested direct associations from one or more sociocultural factors to appearance satisfaction or disordered eating, with indirect paths via thin-ideal internalization and appearance comparisons emerging in all countries. Certain sociocultural factors contributed more strongly to the internalization of ideals and appearance comparisons within some countries. Multigroup path analyses demonstrated some cross-cultural variations in the strength of the pathways. Findings extend cross-cultural support for a modified tripartite influence model emphasizing culture-based specificities that can further guide preventative efforts to improve body image and eating attitudes among young girls in these four countries.

Role of peer support on the cycle of weight teasing, psychological distress and disordered eating in Taiwanese adolescents: A moderated mediation analysis

BACKGROUND

Several studies have reported the beneficial role of social support on adolescent health. However, few studies have explored the role of peer support on the cycle of weight teasing, psychological distress, and disordered eating.

METHODS

A total of 689 adolescents aged between 13 and 16 years recruited from 37 classes in three middle schools in New Taipei City from March to June 2019 were included for analysis. Path analysis was performed using Hayes' PROCESS module.

RESULTS

The study found that weight teasing is directly and indirectly associated with disordered eating through psychological distress. Peer support plays a role in moderating the relationship between weight teasing and psychological distress; however, it is not significantly associated with decreased risk of disordered eating among adolescents experiencing weight teasing.

CONCLUSION

While peer support can be used against the adverse effects of weight teasing, it is not the absolute solution, and additional interventions are warranted.

A short-form drama series created for the digital media environment: A randomised controlled trial exploring effects on girls' body satisfaction, acceptance of appearance diversity, and appearance-related internalised racism

'Edutainment' micro-interventions are a scalable public health strategy that can challenge media-related body image pressures and race- and weight- based stigma. This study evaluated the impact of viewing a brief, theoretically-informed, short-form drama episode on Black and non-Black adolescent girls' body image, acceptance of diversity of appearance (assessed by acceptance of an individual in a larger body and a Black individual), and appearance-related internalised racism (among Black girls only). The fictional drama depicted characters of diverse body sizes and race/ethnicities, with each episode focusing on a risk or protective factor for body image concerns among adolescent girls (e.g., appearance-related teasing and conversations). Participants (N = 686; 50.4 % Black, 49.6 % non-Black) aged 13-18 (Mage = 15.72 years) were randomly allocated to view either the first episode of this series (focused on social media's unrealistic appearance ideals and strategies to resist pressures) or a non-body-image-related control video. Findings revealed no significant differences in body satisfaction between conditions but significant improvements in the acceptance of appearance diversity among all girls who viewed the body image episode. Black girls who viewed this episode experienced significant improvements to appearance-related internalised racism. Edutainment micro-interventions constitute a promising avenue for promoting acceptance of appearance diversity and reducing appearance-related internalised racism.

Thin Ideal Internalization Assessment (THIINA): Development and Psychometric Validation of a New Measure of Female Body Image

Thin ideal internalization is widely implicated in women's body image and eating disturbances. A recently proposed multidimensional operationalization of internalization suggests the brevity and construct validity of existing questionnaires may limit the assessment of thin ideal internalization. Therefore, this research aimed to develop a new questionnaire (i.e., Thin Ideal Internalization Assessment; THIINA) to comprehensively assess thin ideal internalization. In Study 1, 301 female participants were administered the THIINA. Exploratory factor analyses revealed the 17-item THIINA had a stable 3-factor structure reflecting thin idealization, thin overvaluation, and thin behavioral drive. In Study 2, 337 female participants were administered the THIINA and validation measures. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed stability of the 3-factor structure and findings supported convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity of the THIINA. Support for temporal stability was found within a sub-sample of participants (n = 132). The THIINA demonstrated strong psychometric properties, a stable three-factor structure representing theoretically-driven domains, and support for the creation of a composite score representing overall thin ideal internalization. These findings suggest the multidimensional operationalization and measurement of thin ideal internalization could improve theoretical and clinical understanding of the impact of thin ideal internalization on women's body image and eating.

The mother-daughter-sister triad: The role of female family members in predicting body image and eating behaviour in young women

Familial influence, specifically from mothers and sisters, may impact the development of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in young women. Guided by the Tripartite Influence Model, the present study recruited 422 young Australian women for a survey to determine how appearance pressures and fat talk, exhibited by mothers and sisters, and mediational mechanisms (comparisons and internalisation), are associated with body dissatisfaction, and in turn, disordered eating symptomatology. We also explored differences in perceived ratings of mother versus sister appearance pressures and fat talk. Findings were in the hypothesised directions. Greater appearance pressures and fat talk from mothers and sisters was associated with greater body dissatisfaction, restriction and bulimic behaviours. Furthermore, appearance pressures from mothers and sisters was related to young women's likelihood of engaging in appearance comparisons and thin-ideal internalisation, which was associated with body dissatisfaction, and in turn, disordered eating symptomatology. Finally, participants perceived more appearance pressures from their mothers than their sisters, and perceived their mothers to exhibit greater fat talk than their sisters. The findings extend previous research in an important and novel way by investigating individual agents of female familial influence in addition to the role of fat talk in predicting body dissatisfaction and disordered eating.

The relationship between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to thin bodies in Malaysian Chinese and White Australian women: a dot probe study

Studies suggest that an attentional bias to thin bodies is common among those with high levels of body dissatisfaction, which is a risk factor for, and symptom of, various eating disorders. However, these studies have predominantly been conducted in Western countries with body stimuli involving images of White people. In a preregistered study, we recruited 150 Malaysian Chinese women and 150 White Australian women for a study using standardized images of East Asian and White Australian bodies. To measure attentional bias to thin bodies, participants completed a dot probe task which presented images of women who self-identified their ethnicity as East Asian or as White Australian. Contrary to previous findings, we found no evidence for an association between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to thin bodies. This lack of association was not affected by participant ethnicity (Malaysian Chinese versus White Australian) or ethnic congruency between participants and body stimuli (own-ethnicity versus other-ethnicity). However, the internal consistency of the dot probe task was poor. These results suggest that either the relationship between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to thin bodies is not robust, or the dot probe task may not be a reliable measure of attentional bias to body size.

Differential pathways to disordered eating for immigrant and native adolescents in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Few studies have investigated disparities in disordered eating between new immigrant and native adolescents in Taiwan. This study examines the differential pathways to disordered eating in these two populations.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study analyzed data collected from March to June 2019. In total, 729 adolescents aged between 13 and 16 years recruited from 37 classes in 3 middle schools in New Taipei City were included in the final analysis. Standardized assessment tools measured disordered eating (EAT-26) and psychological distress (BSRS-5). Generalized structural equation modeling was used to conduct the path analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of disordered eating was significantly higher in immigrant adolescents than in their native counterparts. Multipath models indicated that weight-teasing driven by overweight and obese status and weight overestimation could lead to disordered eating through psychological distress; however, the pathways differed for the two groups studied. Family weigh-teasing indirectly leads to disordered eating through psychological distress for native adolescents; by contrast, for immigrant adolescents, friend weigh-teasing indirectly leads to disordered eating through psychological distress. Additionally, weight overestimation directly leads to disordered eating and indirectly through psychological distress to disordered eating for immigrant adolescents.

CONCLUSION

This study offers a plausible explanation of the differences in the paths to disordered eating between immigrant and native adolescents in Taiwan, which was not reported previously. The study urges the need for school-based prevention programs to improve immigrant students' mental health.

Social media, traditional media, and other body image influences and disordered eating and cosmetic procedures in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong

In this study, we investigated the association between perceived sociocultural influences and the 3-month prevalence of disordered weight-control behaviors and lifetime prevalence of cosmetic procedures in four Asian countries, and if these associations were modified by gender. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in September 2020 among adults ages 18-91 years (N = 5294) in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. The 3-month prevalence of disordered weight control behaviors ranged from 25.2 % (Singapore) to 42.3 % (Malaysia), while the lifetime prevalence of cosmetic procedures ranged from 8.7 % (Singapore) to 21.3 % (Thailand). Participants who perceived their body image to be influenced by sociocultural factors were more likely to engage in disordered weight control behaviors (RRs ranged from 2.05 to 2.12) and have cosmetic procedures (RRs ranged from 2.91 to 3.89) compared to participants who perceived no sociocultural influence. Men who were influenced by traditional or social media were more likely to engage in disordered weight control behaviors and have cosmetic procedures than similarly influenced women. The high 3-month prevalence of disordered weight control behaviors and lifetime prevalence of cosmetic procedures in Asia is concerning. More research is needed to develop effective preventive interventions in Asia for men and women to promote a healthy body image.

Evaluating a body image school-based intervention in India: A randomized controlled trial

Body dissatisfaction is highly prevalent among adolescents in low- and middle- income countries, including in India. However, evidence-based interventions are lacking. This study evaluated the efficacy of a school-based mixed-gender body image intervention among adolescents in India. A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 568 (43 % girls) Year 7 students (aged 11-14; 94 % aged 12-13) in six schools in Delhi. Each school was randomly allocated to receive five 45-minute intervention sessions delivered by trained psychologists or a wait-list control condition. The primary outcome of body image and related secondary outcomes were assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Intention-to-treat linear mixed models analyses showed improvements in body image relative to the control group at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Significant improvements were identified at post-intervention for internalization, life disengagement, disordered eating, self-esteem, and negative affect, with effects maintained in nearly all outcomes (girls only - internalization, boys only - life disengagement) at 3-month follow-up. This study presents the first mixed-gender school-based body image intervention in India, which was efficacious in improving urban adolescents' body image, disordered eating, and related outcomes.

Positive emotions and their upregulation increase willingness to consume healthy foods

While highly relevant for everyday life, it is unclear whether experiencing incidental positive or negative emotional states, and active emotion regulation, influence the weighting of perceived taste and health in food choices. In Experiment 1, we examined two emotion regulation strategies, reappraisal and distraction, used to decrease negative emotions. Participants were cued to experience or decrease their emotional response for either neutral or negative incidental emotion-inducing images. They subsequently rated their willingness to consume foods, which varied in their taste and health attributes. Mixed-effects model analysis showed that compared to neutral, negative emotions decreased willingness to consume, regardless of perceived taste and health, but neither emotion regulation strategy had a significant effect. Experiment 2 used images inducing incidental positive emotions in combination with three emotion regulation strategies: reappraisal, distraction, and increasing positive emotions. Experiencing positive emotions generally increased willingness to consume, with stronger effects for tasty and healthy foods. Decreasing positive emotions via reappraisal decreased willingness to consume, particularly for healthy foods. Increasing positive emotion intensity further increased willingness to consume, with stronger effects for healthy foods. The results suggest that experiencing positive emotions increases desire particularly strongly for healthy foods, which can additionally be modulated via emotion regulation. This has important implications for designing health-related interventions targeting mood improvement.

Risk factors for eating disorders: findings from a rapid review

BACKGROUND

Risk factors represent a range of complex variables associated with the onset, development, and course of eating disorders. Understanding these risk factors is vital for the refinement of aetiological models, which may inform the development of targeted, evidence-based prevention, early intervention, and treatment programs. This Rapid Review aimed to identify and summarise research studies conducted within the last 12 years, focusing on risk factors associated with eating disorders.

METHODS

The current review forms part of a series of Rapid Reviews to be published in a special issue in the Journal of Eating Disorders, funded by the Australian Government to inform the development of the National Eating Disorder Research and Translation Strategy 2021-2031. Three databases were searched for studies published between 2009 and 2021, published in English, and comprising high-level evidence studies (meta-analyses, systematic reviews, moderately sized randomised controlled studies, moderately sized controlled-cohort studies, or population studies). Data pertaining to risk factors for eating disorders were synthesised and outlined in the current paper.

RESULTS

A total of 284 studies were included. The findings were divided into nine main categories: (1) genetics, (2) gastrointestinal microbiota and autoimmune reactions, (3) childhood and early adolescent exposures, (4) personality traits and comorbid mental health conditions, (5) gender, (6) socio-economic status, (7) ethnic minority, (8) body image and social influence, and (9) elite sports. A substantial amount of research exists supporting the role of inherited genetic risk in the development of eating disorders, with biological risk factors, such as the role of gut microbiota in dysregulation of appetite, an area of emerging evidence. Abuse, trauma and childhood obesity are strongly linked to eating disorders, however less conclusive evidence exists regarding developmental factors such as role of in-utero exposure to hormones. Comorbidities between eating disorders and mental health disorders, including personality and mood disorders, have been found to increase the severity of eating disorder symptomatology. Higher education attainment, body image-related factors, and use of appearance-focused social media are also associated with increased risk of eating disorder symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Eating disorders are associated with multiple risk factors. An extensive amount of research has been conducted in the field; however, further studies are required to assess the causal nature of the risk factors identified in the current review. This will assist in understanding the sequelae of eating disorder development and in turn allow for enhancement of existing interventions and ultimately improved outcomes for individuals.

A comic-based body image intervention for adolescents in semi-rural Indian schools: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Adolescents in India experience body dissatisfaction, however, empirically supported interventions are lacking. This paper describes the protocol for the development, acceptability testing, and cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a six-session comic-based intervention, which aims to improve body image and related outcomes among adolescents in semi-rural Indian schools. If found to be acceptable and effective, UNICEF will disseminate the intervention across schools in eight states of India. The acceptability study will be conducted with 24 students in Classes 6-8 (age 11-14) and nine teachers from Hindi-medium government schools using interviews and focus groups. The subsequent RCT will be conducted with 2400 students, with schools randomized to either the comic-based intervention or lessons-as-usual (control) groups. The primary outcome is body esteem, and secondary outcomes are disordered eating, appearance ideal internalization, body-image-related life disengagement, self-esteem, negative affect, and positive affect. Additional exploratory outcome measures are skin colour dissatisfaction, body hair dissatisfaction, appearance-based teasing, and endorsement of traditional gender roles. These outcomes will be examined at three timepoints: baseline (T1), 1 week-post-intervention (T2), and 12-weeks follow-up (T3). Analyses will compare outcomes in the intervention with the control group. This will be the first study to evaluate a body image intervention for adolescents in semi-rural Indian schools.

Does the tripartite influence model of body image and eating pathology function similarly across racial/ethnic groups of White, Black, Latina, and Asian women?

The tripartite influence model suggests that appearance pressures from family, peers, and the media contribute to thin-ideal internalization, which leads to increased body dissatisfaction and subsequent eating disorder pathology. The tripartite influence model was initially developed and tested among primarily White samples, and emerging research suggests racial/ethnic differences in mean levels of particular model constructs. Consequently, the model's appropriateness for understanding eating disorder risk in racial/ethnic minorities warrants investigation to determine its usefulness in explicating eating disorder risk in diverse populations. Participants in the current study were White (n = 1167), Black (n = 212), Latina (n = 203), and Asian (n = 176) women from five geographically disparate college campuses in the United States. Participants completed the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4, the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire - Appearance Evaluation Subscale, and the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. Analysis of variance was used to compare mean levels of each construct across racial/ethnic groups. Multigroup structural equation modeling was used to assess the appropriateness of the tripartite influence model for each racial/ethnic group, and to examine differences in the strength of the model pathways across groups. There were significant mean level differences across groups for most model constructs. However, results indicated similar model fit across racial/ethnic groups, with few differences in the strength of model pathways. Findings suggest that although some groups report lower levels of proposed risk factors, the sociocultural risk processes for eating pathology identified through the tripartite influence model are similar across racial/ethnic groups of young adult women. Such information can be used to inform culturally-sensitive interventions.

An exploration of the tripartite influence model of body image in Lithuanian sample of young adults: does body weight make a difference?

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to test the sociocultural Tripartite Influence Model (TIM) that helps to explain the associations between the sociocultural pressures to achieve stereotyped body ideals and disordered eating in young Lithuanian women and men of different body mass.

METHODS

A mixed-gender sample of students (n = 1850, 58.8% female, the mean age of men was 20.4 (SD = 3.1) years, of women 22.4 (SD = 5.8) years) filled in series of questionnaires including the social attitudes towards appearance, body image, disordered eating and drive for muscularity. Mediation analyses were performed to estimate the size of total, direct, and indirect effects of variables in the models.

RESULTS

For women of different body weight, the TIM model was fully replicated. For men of normal weight, internalization of the muscular/athletic ideal, drive for muscularity and greater investment towards appearance mediated the relationships between peers' pressures and disordered eating. For overweight men, internalization of the thin and muscular/athletic ideals, poorer body image mediated associations between pressure from the peers and disordered eating. However, the internalization of the muscular/athletic ideal and the greater appearance evaluation mediated the associations between sociocultural pressures and disordered eating for overweight and obese men.

CONCLUSION

The TIM was replicated in women of different body weight. However, internalization of the thin/low fat ideal was not relevant for men of normal body weight and internalization of the muscular ideal had different outcomes for men of different body mass index. The implications of the results for practice are discussed.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V, Cross-sectional descriptive study.

The Role of Body Image Concerns in Online Sexual Victimization among Female Adolescents: The Mediating Effect of Risky Online Behaviors

Female adolescents are particularly at risk of body image concerns. These individuals tend to make greater use of Social Networks and this could lead adolescents into behaviors that increase the risk of online sexual victimization (OSV). This cross-sectional study seeks to investigate the relation between body image concerns and OSV in a sample of female adolescents (n = 229) and the mediating role of three types of risky online behaviors in this link. Body image concerns predict OSV both directly and indirectly. Two of the three risky online behaviors proved to be mediators of the indirect link, namely: indiscriminate expansion of online network of contacts; and willingness to have relationships with strangers met online. Surprisingly, the third behavior, Sexting and Exhibitionism, was not shown to be a mediating factor between body image concerns and OSV. From our results emerges that adolescent girls with a negative body perception have a higher risk of OSV, and the relation between the two variables can be mediated by some risky online behaviors. It is likely that female adolescents use SNs more and adopt risky online behaviors in order to receive gratification and reassurance about their negative body image.

Sociocultural pressure: a model of body dissatisfaction for young women

The aim of the study was to verify the influence of pressure from sociocultural agents on dissatisfaction with face and body in young women mediated by the internalization of the lean and muscular body and to identify the contribution of individual characteristics to this model. A total of 612 university female students participated of study. The students completed the Portuguese versions of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 and of the Body Area Scale-Revised and a sociodemographic questionnaire. A hypothetical model was constructed using structural equation modeling to test the relationship between the variables. The model fit and the significance of the hypothetical paths were verified. The results provide evidence that the greater the pressure of sociocultural agents and the internalization of the lean body, the more women were dissatisfied with body and face appearance. The media contributed to a greater internalization of the muscular body, which reduced the body dissatisfaction. The practice of physical activity and a higher economic level contributed to a greater internalization of the muscular body, which reduced body dissatisfaction. A higher economic level also influenced the internalization of the lean body and increased the dissatisfaction with face and body. A higher body mass index contributed to a greater pressure from sociocultural agents, greater internalization of the lean body, and greater dissatisfaction with body and face. The relationships identified in the model can contribute to the development of strategies aimed at reducing body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in the population, such as body acceptance.

The effects of fitspiration images on body attributes, mood and eating behaviors: An experimental Ecological Momentary Assessment study in females

Through an experimental Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) design, we assessed the effects of fitspiration images (relative to neutral) on body image, mood and disordered eating and whether trait body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal internalization and pressures from the media, family and peers moderated these effects. After completing trait-based measures, 85 women were prompted via a mobile application 6 times daily for 7 days to view an image (fitspiration or neutral) and report on state levels of perceived pressures to attain an idealized physique, satisfaction with various body attributes, mood and eating behavior. When participants were exposed to fitspiration images, their perceived pressure to attain an idealized physique was significantly higher than after exposure to the control images. This effect was most pronounced for women experiencing pressure from the media. Furthermore, fitspiration images lowered the extent to which women felt that idealized physiques were attainable, and decreased satisfaction with current fitness. There were no significant effects on mood and disordered eating. Exposure to fitspiration content predicted only a few adverse outcomes in terms of negative body attributes and perceived pressures to attain a similar physique, suggesting that its content is not as detrimental as initially believed, but further research is needed.

Body Image and Sociocultural Predictors of Body Image Dissatisfaction in Croatian and Chinese Women

In the current paper, two different studies were designed to investigate body image dissatisfaction and perception of the attractive female body in Chinese and Croatian women and men using the correlational and experimental study research approach. Study 1 comprised 266 Chinese (160 women; 106 men) and 261 Croatian participants (161 women; 100 men). Women from both countries were asked to complete the measures of the Contour Rating Scale, SATAQ - 4, Body Area Scale and demographic data, while men were asked to complete the measures of the Contour Rating Scale and demographic data via online surveys. The obtained results indicated that thin internalization predicted body image dissatisfaction in both samples. Besides, while both samples scored relatively high on thin-ideal internalization, Chinese women, who were also in general less satisfied with their body image, had higher scores. Chinese women also scored higher on musculature internalization and felt more pressure from family, friends, and media to conform to standard beauty norms compared to Croatian women. The samples also differed in their perceptions of preferable body size, where Chinese women had a more negative perception of their actual body size. The obtained results furthermore revealed that Chinese men preferred thinner women compared to Croatian men. Moreover, both samples misjudged what their female counterparts found attractive, thinking that women wanted to have even thinner bodies than they actually reported. Similarly, women from both cultures revealed a preference for thinner figures than the ones selected as the most attractive by the opposite sex. Finally, in Study 2, experimental manipulation of thin-ideal was used to examine whether thin priming affected body image dissatisfaction. The obtained results revealed that when primed with thin-ideal women from both countries felt lower satisfaction with their body size. The observed effect was stronger for Chinese participants. Limitations of the current study are discussed in the conclusion.

Validation of the Lithuanian Version of the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) in a Student Sample

The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) is one of the most broadly used self-report tools that assess the general role of sociocultural influences on body image and appearance-related internalization. The present study aimed to examine the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the Lithuanian version of the SATAQ-4 (LT-SATAQ-4), as a screening self-report instrument for assessing the role of sociocultural influences on body image. A mixed-gender sample (N = 1850) of undergraduate students (88.7%) and graduate students (11.3%) from different state universities and colleges participated in this study (average age 21.6 ±5.0). The students completed a self-report online questionnaire. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for assessing test-retest reliability. The construct validity of the Lithuanian Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (LT-SATAQ-4) was studied performing exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and then confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The mean scores for the LT-SATAQ-4 subscales ranged from 1.6 ± 0.9 (Pressure subscale: Peers) to 2.7 ± 1.2 (Internalization subscale: Thin/Low Body Fat). Test-retest reliability was good to excellent for the general and subscale scores (0.85-1.00) except for the Pressure subscale: Peers (0.60). The original 5-factor structure was confirmed by EFA and CFA. Good to excellent internal consistency for each subscale (attempted 0.9 and more) and for the LT-SATAQ-4 global scale (0.91) was obtained. The LT-SATAQ-4 scores had adequate concurrent validity with the measures of the body image, disordered eating, self-esteem, and body mass index. The results support the psychometric properties of the LT-SATAQ-4 and its' use in Lithuanian student samples. The Lithuanian SATAQ-4 is a useful measure to examine the pressures to internalize appearance ideals in Lithuanian-speaking samples of young individuals.

The impact of urbanization on risk for eating disorders

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Urbanization has broadly been implicated in negatively impacting mental health, including risk for disordered eating and eating disorders. Understanding the specific mechanisms that contribute to risk for maladaptive eating behavior in the context of urbanization is essential to improving public health policy and guiding future clinical, research, and prevention efforts.

RECENT FINDINGS

This review of recent investigation related to the impact of urbanization on eating disease highlights specific risk factors for eating disorders, including acculturation to Western standards of beauty and food resources with associated body weight and body image concern.

SUMMARY

Recommendations for clinical and research endeavors include improved specificity in defining urbanization, as well as increased sensitivity within community-based assessment of cultural and demographic variables that may impact eating behavior and risk for eating disorders.