A variety of risk factors for bulimia nervosa have been proposed including both environmental factors (e.g., family environment) and personal characteristics (e.g., body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, and perfectionism). The main goal of this study was to further examine the relationship between body satisfaction, self-esteem, and perfectionism in the development of bulimic symptoms. A confirmatory factor analysis on the construct of perfectionism was conducted to determine if it was best explained as a unidimensional or a multidimensional construct. Perfectionism was best explained as a construct consisting of three factors--normal perfectionism, neurotic perfectionism, and orderliness. The relationship between body satisfaction, self-esteem, and perfectionism in the development of bulimic behaviors was also examined using structural equation modeling. We did not find support for a hypothesized three-way interaction among body satisfaction, self-esteem, and neurotic perfectionism in the development of bulimic behavior. We did find support for a pair of two-way interactions predicting bulimic behaviors. Interactions between body satisfaction and self-esteem and body satisfaction and neurotic perfectionism were predicitve of bulimic symptom development.

A variety of risk factors for bulimia nervosa have been proposed including both environmental factors (e.g., family environment) and personal characteristics (e.g., body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, and perfectionism). The main goal of this study was to further examine the relationship between body satisfaction, self-esteem, and perfectionism in the development of bulimic symptoms. A confirmatory factor analysis on the construct of perfectionism was conducted to determine if it was best explained as a unidimensional or a multidimensional construct. Perfectionism was best explained as a construct consisting of three factors--normal perfectionism, neurotic perfectionism, and orderliness. The relationship between body satisfaction, self-esteem, and perfectionism in the development of bulimic behaviors was also examined using structural equation modeling. We did not find support for a hypothesized three-way interaction among body satisfaction, self-esteem, and neurotic perfectionism in the development of bulimic behavior. We did find support for a pair of two-way interactions predicting bulimic behaviors. Interactions between body satisfaction and self-esteem and body satisfaction and neurotic perfectionism were predicitve of bulimic symptom development.

Gynecomastia is the proliferation of breast tissue in men. The purpose of this study was to compare psychological functioning across three groups of participants: treatment seeking men with gynecomastia, non treatment seeking men with gynecomastia, and men without gynecomastia. Though very little research has been done with this population, some research suggests poor psychological outcomes of gynecomastia. MANCOVA was used to test differences in psychological functioning across the three groups, and multiple regression was used to predict quality of life from psychological variables. Significant differences emerged between groups, with men with gynecomastia reporting worse psychological functioning. Additionally, no theoretical model for body image currently exists for men with gynecomastia. As such, the Tripartite Influence Model of Body Image was examined in this population through used of mediation analyses. Results confirmed partial support of this model for this population. This study was the first to examine treatment seeking status as a potential moderator of psychological functioning in men with gynecomastia and provides a theoretical model of body image to guide future research in this area.

This study examined whether religious coping moderated the effects of thin-ideal images on body satisfaction among college women. Religious (N = 178) participants met for a pre-test to complete religiosity measures. A week later, the participants reconvened and were assigned to one of two conditions: before (n = 83) or after (n = 95). Within each of these two groups, participants were randomly assigned to read a list of statements: positive religious statements, positive nonreligious statements, negative religious statements, positive body neutral religious statements, and neutral statements. Each participant was exposed to a task that included 10 images of thin-ideal models, read her list of statements, and completed the Body Dissatisfaction Scale of the EDI-3. The results revealed no significant main effect of placement, type of statement and no significant Placement X Statement Type interaction. However, when religious statements were collapsed and a subsequent 2 (Placement) X 3 (Statement type) analysis was conducted the results indicated a significant main effect for type of statement. Reading religious statements resulted in less body dissatisfaction than non-religious statements. There was no main effect for placement and no Placement X Statement Type interaction. Ethnic differences in religiosity were noted (all p’s <.05). Implications and future directions in research are discussed.

The hypotheses of the current study are that (1) black women will be more spiritual and (2) will have more knowledge of the Holy Spirit than white women, and (3) spirituality will be negatively correlated with eating disorder symptomatology and body dissatisfaction. (4) African American women will have lower body dissatisfaction and (5) less eating disorder symptomatology than Caucasian women. It is predicted that (6) ethnicity will have more influence on eating disorder symptomatology and spirituality than current and ideal weight. (7) Current weight will have more influence on body dissatisfaction than ethnicity or ideal weight. Finally, (8) the ideal weight of black women will be higher than that of white women. Participants included 95 African American and Caucasian female college students. All the hypotheses were supported. Prospective research can discern whether racial differences in spirituality have causal influence on healthier body image held by many black women.

This correlational cross-sectional study investigated body image from a positive psychology viewpoint by examining variables that were predicted to contribute to positive body image in women and testing a model describing the relationships among the variables. Negative body image has been correlated with many psychological problems in the literature, but less research has examined positive body image. Some questions addressed include: Is there a relationship between secure attachment and positive body image? Do self-esteem and optimism act as intervening variables in the predicted relationship between secure attachment and positive body image? To address these questions, data from 97 women were used in a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. Some of the hypotheses were supported, although the overall model was not. Secure attachment was found to be positively correlated with and predictive of self-esteem and optimism as hypothesized and in line with previous findings. Also as hypothesized, self-esteem and optimism were found to be moderately correlated. Self-esteem and optimism were not significantly related to body image in the SEM analysis and therefore the overall proposed model was not supported. In this sample, secure attachment was found to be the greatest predictor of positive body image. Attachment accounted for 40% of the variance in body image, 44% of the variance in optimism, and 25% of the variance in self-esteem.

The hypotheses of the current study are that (1) black women will be more spiritual and (2) will have more knowledge of the Holy Spirit than white women, and (3) spirituality will be negatively correlated with eating disorder symptomatology and body dissatisfaction. (4) African American women will have lower body dissatisfaction and (5) less eating disorder symptomatology than Caucasian women. It is predicted that (6) ethnicity will have more influence on eating disorder symptomatology and spirituality than current and ideal weight. (7) Current weight will have more influence on body dissatisfaction than ethnicity or ideal weight. Finally, (8) the ideal weight of black women will be higher than that of white women. Participants included 95 African American and Caucasian female college students. All the hypotheses were supported. Prospective research can discern whether racial differences in spirituality have causal influence on healthier body image held by many black women.

This study assessed the relation between weight and weight-related factors (i.e., body dissatisfaction, body esteem, teasing frequency, and the effects of teasing) in a community sample of prepubescent African American girls. African American girls (N = 97) in Grades 3 to 5 completed the McKnight Risk Factor Survey-Third Edition and had their heights and weights taken to calculate body mass index (BMI). Participants were from two public elementary schools with a predominantly African American student population in a Southern metropolitan city of the United States. Increased weight was associated with higher levels of body dissatisfaction and a greater frequency of weight teasing by peers. Weight was not associated with body esteem. These relationships between weight and related factors may be important for understanding how weight affects psychosocial functioning in a community sample of African American girls.

Research identifies male athletes as a subpopulation at risk for developing eating disorders and disordered eating (ED/DE). Petrie and Greenleaf's sociocultural model proposes that various correlates contribute to the etiology of ED/DE in athletes. Among the correlates, body satisfaction has been identified as a direct precursor to ED/DE symptomatology in male and female athletes. Recent research has noted self-compassion's utility in alleviating the outcomes of poor body image and ED/DE through several pathways. However, researchers have yet to examine self-compassion in relation to body satisfaction and ED/DE in male athletes or the temporal relationship between these variables. This study longitudinally examined the direct and indirect effects of self-compassion on body satisfaction and ED/DE symptomatology in a mixed-sport sample of 452 male collegiate athletes by testing the cross-lagged, temporal relationships among self-compassion, body satisfaction, and ED/DE symptomatology across a four-month time frame. Time 1 self-compassion was neither directly related to Time 2 body satisfaction (β = 0.02, p = .755), nor indirectly to Time 2 ED/DE (β = -0.002, 95% BCaCI [-0.028, 0.014]) when controlling for Time 1 scores. Recent research supports my finding and suggests that the effects of self-compassion on body satisfaction and ED/DE symptomatology may be dependent on gender. In contrast, Time 2 body satisfaction was directly related to Time 2 ED/DE (β = -0.12, p < 0.05), which adds to a substantial body of research in that body satisfaction is a primary antecedent to ED/DE.

Breast self-examinations (BSE) and skin self-examinations (SSE) provide people with a cost-effective and time-efficient approach to the detection of cancer. Given the utility of these self-examination behaviors, it is important to determine who is likely to perform them regularly and why. Prior research has demonstrated a relationship of attitudes and self-efficacy with performance of and intention to practice the exams. Body image, although not previously studied, can be hypothesized to influence performance of these behaviors as well. To address these issues, the current study sought to determine if there are relationships between attitudes, self-efficacy, and body image and the practice of BSE and SSE. One hundred and six women completed measures assessing attitudes, self-efficacy, body image, past performance of BSE and SSE, and future intention to perform BSE and SSE. Results indicated that attitude was positively related to past performance of BSE and SSE and future intention to perform SSE. Self-efficacy was positively related to past performance and future intention to perform BSE and SSE. Body image was positively related only to past performance of SSE. Future research should further examine the relationship between body image and SSE utilizing longitudinal designs and a more diverse population.