ERIC Number: EJ879288
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Apr
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0167
EISSN: N/A
Body Dissatisfaction, Ethnic Identity, and Disordered Eating among African American Women
Rogers Wood, Nikel A.; Petrie, Trent A.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, v57 n2 p141-153 Apr 2010
Initial research suggested that only European American women developed eating disorders (Garner, 1993), yet recent studies have shown that African American women do experience them (e.g., Lester & Petrie, 1998b; Mulholland & Mintz, 2001) and also may be negatively affected by similar sociocultural variables. In this study, we examined a sociocultural model of eating disorders for African American women but included the influences of ethnic identity (e.g., Hall, 1995; Helms, 1990). Participants (N = 322) were drawn from 5 different universities. They completed measures representing ethnic identity, societal pressures regarding thinness, internalization of societal beauty ideals, body image concerns, and disordered eating. Structural equation modeling revealed that ethnic identity was inversely, and societal pressures regarding thinness directly, related to internalization of societal beauty ideals. Societal pressures regarding thinness was also related to greater body image concerns. Both internalization of societal beauty ideals and body image concerns were positively associated with disordered eating (R[superscript 2] = 0.79). Overall, the final model fit the data well, supporting its generalizability and the importance of ethnic identity in determining risk. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Ethnicity, Females, Structural Equation Models, Self Concept, Eating Disorders, Body Composition, African Americans, Social Influences, Cultural Influences, Undergraduate Students, Black Colleges
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A