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Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes in 7 to 11-year-old girls: testing a sociocultural model

Evans, E.H.; Tovee, M.T.; Boothroyd, L.G.; Drewett, R.

Authors

M.T. Tovee

R. Drewett



Abstract

We examined the sociocultural model of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitude development in young girls for the first time. According to the model, internalizing an unrealistically thin ideal body increases the risk of disordered eating via body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, and depression. Girls aged 7–11 years (N = 127) completed measures of thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, depression, and disordered eating attitudes. Participants’ height and weight were measured and their body mass index calculated. Thin-ideal internalization predicted disordered eating attitudes indirectly via body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, and depression; it also predicted disordered eating attitudes directly. Path analyses showed that a revised sociocultural model fit well with the data. These data show that a sociocultural framework for understanding disordered eating and body dissatisfaction in adults is useful, with minor modifications, in understanding the development of related attitudes in young girls.

Citation

Evans, E., Tovee, M., Boothroyd, L., & Drewett, R. (2013). Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes in 7 to 11-year-old girls: testing a sociocultural model. Body Image, 10(1), 8-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.10.001

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date 2013-01
Deposit Date Apr 30, 2012
Journal Body Image
Print ISSN 1740-1445
Electronic ISSN 1873-6807
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 10
Issue 1
Pages 8-15
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.10.001
Keywords Thin-ideal internalization, Body dissatisfaction, Eating, Child.
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1477174