Introduction: According to the National Association for Anorexia and Associated Disorders (ANAD), approximately 9% of the worldwide population is affected by eating disorders. Roughly 28.8 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime (Arcelus et al., 2011). Eating disorders are amongst the most serious and deadly mental illnesses. In fact, eating disorders have the second highest risk of death amongst mental illnesses with 10,200 deaths occurring every year directly attributed to them (Arcelus et al., 2011). In particular, Asian Americans may be understudied in terms of eating disorder behaviors (Goel et al., 2022). With respect to eating pathology, Asian American college students report higher rates of restricted eating compared with their white peers (Uri et al., 2021). Asian American college students also report higher rates of purging, muscle building, and cognitive restraint than their white or Non-Asian BIPOC counterparts (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 2022). This suggests that Asian Americans may exhibit eating disorders or disordered eating behaviors at the same rate as white individuals, but their experiences may be underreported or unrecognized. South Asians in particular experience unique psychological consequences from societal pressures. For example, many South Asian women experience weight stigma and competing body appearance ideals (thin and healthy; Goel et al., 2021). They additionally report having pressure to have light skin and no body hair (Goel et al., 2021). Together these factors significantly impact body image and self-esteem which in turn can lead to disordered eating behaviors.
Objectives: Current literature suggests that culture plays a role in the etiology and maintenance of eating disorders (Haworth-Hoeppner, 2000; Kadish, 2012; Miller & Pumariega, 2001) . However, there is little information about the role of acculturation, especially concerning South Asian women living in the United States. To address this gap in the literature, the main purpose of the study is to investigate the association between level of acculturation and disordered eating behaviors among South Asian Americans living in the United States.
Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey design, the researcher will electronically distribute a survey using RedCap. Recruitment will be conducted through chain referral recruitment, distribution through email listservs, social media outlets such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and other community outreach groups such as church and temple email listservs.
This poster will present this study as a work in progress and will address clinical implications and future research objectives
