Examining the role of social physique anxiety on the relationship between physical appearance comparisons and disordered eating symptoms among Spanish emerging adults

Abstract

The present study extends previous research by examining the moderating/mediating role of social physique anxiety (SPA) on the relationship between physical appearance comparisons (PAC) and symptoms of disordered eating (DE) in adolescent population. A total of 555 emerging adults (59% women) ranging from 18 to 30 years of age (M = 21.34, SD = 2.80) were recruited from two public universities from Spain using a non-probabilistic sampling technique. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire comprising the variables of research interest. Once the effects of sex (i.e., being men or women), age, body mass index, and depressive symptoms were controlled for, the results from bootstrapping cross-sectional regression analyses supported both the moderating and mediating effect of SPA on the relationship between PAC and DE. Sex did not moderate any of these relationships. From these findings, it follows that incorporating strategies aimed at decreasing PAC and SPA may contribute to improved prevention efforts aimed at decreasing DE among Spanish emerging adults of both sexes.

Keywords: Physical appearance; eating pathology; psychopathology; social comparison; young adulthood.