Sociocultural pressure as a mediator of eating disorder symptoms in a non-clinical Australian sample

Abstract

Eating disorders continue to be a major cause of concern worldwide. The continuum model of eating disorders proposes (1) that there are sub-clinical behaviours or symptoms that differ only by being less frequent and/or severe when compared to those with clinically diagnosed eating disorders and (2) that these behaviours should be studied, including in non-clinical populations. In the present study, perceived social pressure to aspire to a thin ideal was tested as a potential mediator in the relationships between selected sociocultural factors and eating disorder symptomology in a non-clinical sample (comprised of 265 participants aged 18–40 years). Participants completed a series of self-report measures assessing levels of body dissatisfaction and several sociocultural factors (e.g. internalisation of a thin ideal-general and athlete, effects of media pressure and Media Information Influence). The role was also examined of sociocultural pressure as a mediator in the relationships between internalisation (using the media as a source of information regarding physical appearance) and eating disorder symptoms. The results showed that perceived sociocultural pressure was a significant mediator in the relationship between internalisation of the thin ideal (general and athletic) and eating disorder symptoms, and also between Media Information Influence and eating disorder symptoms. We concluded that sociocultural factors increase the risk of eating disorder symptoms occurring before diagnosis of an eating disorder is made, for those who are susceptible to societal pressures.

Keywords:

• Thin-ideal internalisation
• body dissatisfaction
• eating disorder symptoms
• sociocultural pressure
• media information
• continuum model of eating disorders

Public Interest Statement

Eating disorders continue to be a major cause of concern worldwide. We wished to identify what factors (“precursors”) are associated with eating behaviours that are not yet at a level diagnosed as a disorder but could be seen to be “sub-clinical”. Often these levels are not diagnosed and no advice or treatment that would reduce the possible development of the disorder is given. We believed better management of these factors in a normal population would lead to fewer eating disorder diagnoses and help reduce associated effects such as depression, family concerns and health costs. In particular we examined the relationships of social and cultural influences (such as media pressures emphasising the value of“being thin”), on eating behaviours in a sample of young adult individuals (aged 18–40 years). We found that sociocultural pressures significantly affected eating behaviours in members of our non-clinical sample, and conclude that this information should be more widely available and applied before disorder level eating develops.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Linda Pedersen

The three authors worked together on the research reported here and are part of broader research projects on eating disorders supervised by Dr Hicks, Professor of Psychology at Bond University. Linda Pedersen (now Linda Pedersen Clapham) conducted the major data gathering and analyses associated with the current paper, as part of her fourth year psychology thesis. She now also holds a Master of Communication (Advertising). Sharon Rosenrauch holds a Masters in Nutrition, was a senior research assistant and teaching fellow at Bond University until recently and now works in as a Departmental Officer in the Australian Government Department of Health. Richard Hicks has special interests in health psychology research supervision (including in scale development in the assessment of pre-cursors to eating disorders).