Purpose: Interpersonal and intrapersonal factors contributing to body appreciation in emerging adult women remain poorly explored. Thus, the present study aimed to test the impact of early memories of warmth and safeness with peers, self-compassion, and social safeness, in body appreciation and in disordered eating attitudes and behaviours.
Methods: A total of 387 women aged between 18 and 25 completed a set of self-report questionnaires. Data were analysed through descriptive and correlation statistics, and the suitability of a theoretical model was explored via path analysis. Self-report instruments assessed participants' weight and height, early memories of warmth and safeness with peers, self-compassion, social safeness, body appreciation, as well as disordered eating.
Results: Early memories of warmth and safeness with peers associated with higher self-compassion and feelings of social safeness, which were both positively linked to body appreciation. Body appreciation associated with a lower display of disordered eating.
Conclusion: It seems that childhood and adolescent experiences may have an important influence on the development of self-to-self and self-to-others secure relationships, with consequences on the way women behave and relate with their unique body characteristics. The pertinence of developing self-compassion and affiliative skills to promote positive body image among females is suggested, as well as of applying compassion-based strategies when clinically approaching symptoms of eating disorders.
Level of evidence: Cross-sectional descriptive study, Level V.
Keywords: Body appreciation; Early memories with peers; Eating psychopathology; Self-compassion; Social safeness; Women’s mental health.