Juvenile Arthritis, Body Image, and Disordered Eating: An Exploration of Experiences

This qualitative study examined eating and body experiences among youth with juvenile arthritis (JA). JA, an autoimmune condition affecting nearly 300,000 youth in the United States, poses significant challenges including chronic pain, disability, and psychological concerns such as anxiety and depression. Although adolescence is a critical developmental time for body image and disordered eating concerns to emerge, no qualitative research has explored the interactions of JA, body image, and eating behaviors among youth. Twelve youth with a JA diagnosis participated in a semi-structured qualitative interview examining their experiences with JA and their feelings about their bodies and food as they relate to their disease. Interviews were transcribed, description-focused coding was generated, and the data was analyzed for themes. Four primary themes were identified: ability status, symptom severity, medication side effects, and dietary restrictions. Generally, participants attributed lower ability status, increased symptoms, medication side effects, and dietary restrictions to having a negative impact on their body image and relationship with food. However, participants also reported having more positive body image due to feeling stronger and more able-bodied during periods of remission. Findings indicate that mental health providers and JA specialists should be aware of the relationship between JA and eating pathology and body image concerns. The findings also suggest a need to develop eating disorder and body image prevention and interventions that specifically address aspects of juvenile arthritis and chronic illness management (i.e., medication side effects and dietary restrictions). Finally, given the relationship between physical and psychological health, there is a need for additional eating disorder and body image research in youth with autoimmune illnesses

Pre-service teachers\u27 attitudes of students with chronic pain

In the last 30 years, the number of students with disabilities served in a general education setting has increased due to growing support for inclusion (Manning, Bullock, & Gable, 2009). Because more students with disabilities are attending public schools and spending more time in the general education classroom, teachers must provide accommodations to meet the needs of students (Waldman, Perlman, & Garey, 2015). Chronic pain is a condition that has ramifications in and out of the classroom, and is commonly misunderstood by teachers. The purpose of the current study was to identify whether pre-service teachers have more negative attitudes toward students with chronic pain compared to students with either a well-known disorder (i.e., ADHD) or a serious medical condition (i.e., Sickle Cell Disease). Undergraduate elementary education majors read vignettes describing three children presenting with symptoms of chronic pain, ADHD, and Sickle Cell Disease. Participants then rated each of the three vignettes in terms of their concern for the child described. It was hypothesized that participants will have the most negative attitude regarding the child with chronic pain and be less likely to refer her for support services. The hypotheses were not supported, as pre-services teachers did not rate chronic pain more negatively than ADHD and SCD. However, pre-service teachers reported the desire for more training on mental health and medical concerns. These results highlight the need for additional training for pre-service teachers on the topics of chronic pain, childhood mental health and medical disorders, and inclusion

The EmBODYment Project: Body Image in College-Age Dancers

Body image encompasses how one perceives, thinks, acts, and feels toward their body. Dance is a highly athletic art form that requires significant strength, flexibility, and artistry. Thus, a dancer must constantly self-reflect on and receive feedback regarding parts of their body, potentially impacting their body image. Additionally, dancers are at a higher risk of developing disordered eating behaviors than the general population. Although several studies have explored the relationship between dancers and body image or disordered eating concerns, few studies have examined college dance students specifically. This mixed methods study examines college-age dancers’ training experiences, body image, and eating behaviors. It is hypothesized that participants with more years of training and those who primarily trained in ballet will experience more negative body image and higher rates of disordered eating. Students in the UM Dance Department have been invited to complete a survey with questions regarding their past and current training and measures of body image and eating behaviors. Twelve participants will also complete a recorded qualitative interview. In addition to questions about participant experiences, the interview will include two dance improvisation prompts. The interviews will be transcribed, and the data will be coded and analyzed for themes. Dance movement will also be analyzed for trends in speed, use of space, and resistance. In addition to addressing a gap in the literature on body image and eating behaviors in college-age dancers, this study will offer insight about the needs of the students in the UM Dance Department. This information can be used to develop nutrition and body-image programming to address these needs. Furthermore, the data from the qualitative interviews will be used as a basis to create a choreographic work to be performed, extending the reach of the findings of this study

Differences among feminist and non-feminist women on weight bias internalization, body image, and disordered eating

Abstract Background Research yields mixed results on whether feminist beliefs or self-identification are protective against body image disturbance and eating pathology in non-clinical populations. Further, no studies have examined feminism among those with diagnosed eating disorders. Additionally, previous studies have not examined the relationship between feminist identity and weight stigma. This study investigated these relationships and if there are differences in body image, eating pathology, and weight stigma among feminist identity types in women with eating disorders and college women using ANCOVAs. Methods Participants completed self-report measures and were women with eating disorders (N = 100) and college women (N = 240). Results Sixty-four percent of the women with eating disorders and 75.8% of the college women identified as a feminist. An independent samples t-test found a significantly higher weight bias internalization in the clinical eating disorder sample than in the college women sample. No significant interactions were found between sample type and feminist identity for body image or weight bias internalization. Results were consistent when using a dichotomous feminist identity item and a seven-item continuous feminist identity item. Conclusions Despite the clear impacts of the intersection of weight status and gender, results from this study suggest that identifying as a feminist is not sufficient to combate weight stigma. Findings highlight the need for further research investigating weight bias internalization within eating disorder prevention efforts and interventions