Internalized Weight Stigma, Psychological Well-Being, and Sleep in Women

Abstract

Background: Many women internalize negative attitudes regarding body shape and size because of the societal standards for women's ideal body shapes and sizes. Internalized weight stigma is related to poorer physical and psychological health. A growing body of research has documented the links between other forms of internalized stigma (e.g., HIV-stigma) and poor sleep quality; however, little research examines the links between internalized weight stigma and sleep or the mechanisms that explain this relationship. Internalized weight stigma may be associated with poor sleep through increases in psychological distress. This study hypothesized that the links between internalized weight stigma and sleep would be mediated by higher levels of depression and anxiety.

Methods: About 257 women were recruited via social media, word of mouth, and an undergraduate participant pool. Participants completed an online survey assessing various aspects of weight stigma and health through self-report questionnaires. Most women were non-Hispanic White (86.8%) and had a mean age of 31.40.

Results: The indirect effects of internalized weight stigma on poorer global sleep quality and daily disturbances through depression and anxiety were significant. In contrast, depressive symptoms but not anxiety explained the links between internalized weight stigma and perceived sleep quality and neither depressive symptoms nor anxiety explained the link between internalized weight stigma and sleep efficiency.

Conclusions: Internalized weight stigma is linked to poorer sleep quality, and these links may be explained by psychological well-being. Understanding the mechanisms by which internalized weight stigma is associated with sleep quality can inform the psychological interventions employed.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Internalized weight stigma; Sleep.