Score Reliability and Factor Similarity of the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3) Among Four Ethnic Groups

Background:This study evaluated the score reliability and equivalence of factor structure of the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3) [1] in a sample of female college students from the four largest ethnic groups in the USA.Methods:Participants were 1245 women who self-identified as European American/White (n = 543), African American/Black (n = 137), Asian American (n = 317), or Latina/Hispanic (n = 248). All completed the SATAQ-3 and a demographic questionnaire. To test the factor similarity and score reliability across groups, we used exploratory factor analysis and calculated Cronbach’s alphas (respectively).Results:Score reliability was high for all groups. Tests of factor equivalence suggested that the four pre-established factors of the SATAQ-3 (i.e., knowledge, perceived pressure, thin-ideal internalization, athletic-ideal internalization) were similar for women of all ethnic groups. Only two items (20 and 27) did not consistently load on the previously identified scale across all four groups. When scored, African Americans reported significantly less perceived pressure and internalization than all other groups.Conclusions:Results support the use of the SATAQ-3 in female college students of these four ethnicities

The relationship between social networking site use and the internalization of a thin ideal in females: A meta-analytic review

Published: 07 August 2017Previous research has indicated that exposure to traditional media (i.e., television, film, and print) predicts the likelihood of internalization of a thin ideal; however, the relationship between exposure to internet-based social media on internalization of this ideal remains less understood. Social media differ from traditional forms of media by allowing users to create and upload their own content that is then subject to feedback from other users. This meta-analysis examined the association linking the use of social networking sites (SNSs) and the internalization of a thin ideal in females. Systematic searches were performed in the databases: PsychINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, Communication and Mass Media Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. Six studies were included in the meta-analysis that yielded 10 independent effect sizes and a total of 1,829 female participants ranging in age from 10 to 46 years. We found a positive association between extent of use of SNSs and extent of internalization of a thin ideal with a small to moderate effect size (r = 0.18). The positive effect indicated that more use of SNSs was associated with significantly higher internalization of a thin ideal. A comparison was also made between study outcomes measuring broad use of SNSs and outcomes measuring SNS use solely as a function of specific appearance-related features (e.g., posting or viewing photographs). The use of appearance-related features had a stronger relationship with the internalization of a thin ideal than broad use of SNSs. The finding suggests that the ability to interact with appearance-related features online and be an active participant in media creation is associated with body image disturbance. Future research should aim to explore the way SNS users interact with the media posted online and the relationship linking the use of specific appearance features and body image disturbance.John Mingoia, Amanda D. Hutchinson, Carlene Wilson and David H. Gleave

Psychopathology Factors That Affect the Relationship Between Body Size and Body Dissatisfaction and the Relationship Between Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Pathology

Although high body mass index (BMI) alone does not invariably lead to body dissatisfaction (BD) and BD alone does not invariably lead to eating pathology (EP), research has suggested that there are clear relationships between each predictor and its respective criterion. We have a limited understanding of the factors that explain why some women at higher risk for BD (because of their BMI) do not report being dissatisfied with their bodies and why some women who are highly dissatisfied, do not engage in pathological eating behaviors. The present study examined such factors. A university sample of New Zealand women (N = 166) completed the Personality Assessment Inventory (Morey, 1991) and questionnaires measuring BD and EP. The tendency to report lower BD than would be predicted by one’s BMI, and the tendency to report lower EP than would be expected based on one’s BD, were characterized by lower overall distress (i.e., lower levels of anxiety and depression) and greater mood stability compared to those who followed the predicted outcome. Greater understanding of the factors that protect high-risk women from BD and EP may contribute to prevention and intervention strategies

Measuring and discriminating dissociative and borderline symptomatology among women with eating disorders

p. 110-117To examine the reliability and validity of instruments designed to measure dissociative and borderline symptoms among persons with eating disorders, we administered two indices of dissociative symptoms along with two indices of borderline, depressive, and bulimic symptoms to a sample of 100 women diagnosed as having an eating disorder. We examined internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and factor structure of the instrument/constructs. There was a high degree of convergence between the two dissociation scales (r = .70) and moderate correlations between the dissociation scales and one of the borderline scales. However, the two borderline scales were not highly correlated with one another, calling into question their construct validity. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis also supported the validity of the dissociation scales but failed to identify a distinct borderline factor. These results supported the construct validity of the dissociation scales but failed to support the validity of the borderline scales

Dissociative symptoms among patients with eating disorders: associated feature or artifact of a comorbid dissociative disorder?

p. 028-036We examined the relationship between eating disorders and dissociative symptoms. Seventy-six subjects were 52 females diagnosed as having either an eating disorder without a comorbid dissociative disorder (n = 14), an eating disorder with a comorbid dissociative disorder (n = 14), a dissociative disorder without a comorbid eating disorder (n = 14), or were normal controls (n = 14). All subjects were administered a variety of objective assessment instruments measuring dissociative and eating disorder symptomatology. Pathological dissociative experiences as measured by the Dissociative Experiences Scale were generally found only among the patients with dissociative disorders (with or without an eating disorder). However, both eating disorder groups endorsed a variety of eating-related dissociative experiences. None of the observed effects appeared to be moderated by depressive symptomatology. The data do support the hypothesis that dissociative phenomena, independent of a comorbid dissociative disorder, may be related to the psychopathology of eating disorders. These data also add to the body of evidence demonstrating the ability of objective assessment instruments to accurately identify patients with dissociative disorders

An examination of risk factors that moderate the body dissatisfaction-eating pathology relationship among New Zealand adolescent girls

Abstract Background Eating disorders (EDs) and their subclinical variants are important health concerns for adolescent girls, and body dissatisfaction is a more common yet often debilitating experience that typically precedes the development of an ED. Despite this fact, little is known about what makes girls who are dissatisfied with their bodies more likely to engage in pathological eating behaviors. The present study explored eating pathology among a sample of adolescent girls from New Zealand and examined a variety of established risk factors that may moderate the relationship between body dissatisfaction (BD) and eating pathology. Methods Adolescent girls aged between 14 and 18 (N = 231) completed questionnaires assessing eating pathology, BD, negative affect, perfectionism, self-esteem, teasing and sociocultural pressure. Regression analyses tested for moderator effects to examine which variables moderated the relationship between BD and eating pathology. Results The analyses indicated that high levels of socially prescribed and self-oriented perfectionism, negative affect, perceived pressure from the media, and low levels of self-esteem all strengthened the relationship between BD and eating pathology. Conclusions The results highlight potential factors that may make adolescent girls who are dissatisfied with their bodies more susceptible to eating pathology