Moderators of the Relationship Between Body Image Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating

Abstract

Various affective and personality variables may impact the relationship between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating symptomatology. The current study was a post-hoc analysis examining potential moderators (depression, anxiety, and impulsivity) of this relationship in college women. Four-hundred and seventy-two (472) enrolled college women between the ages of 18 and 55 participated in this study. Moderation analyses indicated that anxiety, depression, and dieting significantly moderated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, whereas impulsivity did not. Findings can be used to generate hypotheses for education and prevention programs on college campuses.

Notes

¹Lack of Attention: F(1, 468) = 0.31, p = .58, R² change ≤ 0.01; Non-planning: F(1, 468) = 2.30, p = 0.13, R² change ≤ 0.01; Motivation: F(1, 468) = 0.004, p = .95, R² change ≤ 0.01.