Exploring the differentiated relationship between appearance and fitness‐related social anxiety and the risk of eating disorders and depression in young adults

Abstract

Appearance‐related social anxiety has been identified as a relevant risk factor in the development of eating disorders (ED) and depression in young adults. However, less is known about the role that fitness‐related social anxiety may play on the emergence of these two psychopathological conditions. The present study aimed to examine whether appearance/fitness social anxiety may independently contribute to explaining the increased risk of ED and depressive symptoms in young adults. A total of 545 undergraduate students (46% women, Mage = 21.36, SDage = 2.93) recruited in two Spanish public universities completed a self‐reported questionnaire. After controlling for self‐reported BMI and appearance‐related social anxiety, the results from the regression analyses revealed that fitness‐related social anxiety positively and significantly (p < 0.05) contributed to explaining both the risk of ED (in women and men) and depressive symptoms (in women). The inclusion of the interaction term within the appearance/fitness‐related term positively contributed to explaining additional variance for both the risk of ED and depressive symptoms in men, but not in women. The regression models explained 48% (women) and 35% (men) of the ED risk and 25% (women) and 19% (men) of depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that not only appearance, but also fitness‐related social anxiety experiences may contribute to explaining the emergence of ED and depression in young adults.

The prevalence and risk factors of screen-based disordered eating among university students: a global systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

“…Sample Size N = 396. ED Measure: EAT-26 %Female = 100%, Age = 20.1 years, BMI = 23.2 kg/m 2 6 6 Alcaraz-Ibáñez (2019) [ 82 ] Spain Cross-sectional design. Sample Size N = 545.…”

Examining the role of social physique anxiety on the relationship between physical appearance comparisons and disordered eating symptoms among Spanish emerging adults

“…Furthermore, it has been suggested that considering social comparisons refers not only to physical appearance but, additionally, to behaviors with the potential to modify one's body (e.g., eating or exercise) may incrementally contribute to explain DE (Fitzsimmons‐Craft & Bardone‐Cone, 2014; Fitzsimmons‐Craft, Bardone‐Cone & Harney, 2012). The latter may also apply to SPA experiences, in this case, considering not only physical appearance‐related ones but also those that refer to other body features such as functionality (Alcaraz‐Ibáñez et al ., 2019). Finally, the sample examined in the present study comprised a convenience sample of non‐clinical emerging adults.…”

“…Due to their increasing prevalence and associated socioeconomic burden, eating disorders are considered a public health concern worldwide (Crow, 2014; Samnaliev, Noh, Sonneville & Austin, 2015; Smink, Van Hoeken & Hoek, 2012). For instance, previous research conducted in Western countries (Alcaraz‐Ibáñez & Sicilia, 2020; Alcaraz‐Ibáñez, Sicilia & Paterna, 2019) has reported high percentages of risk for an eating disorder among emerging adults (i.e., those that, aged between 18 and 30 years, are transitioning from late adolescence to their late twenties; Arnett, Žukauskiene & Sugimura, 2014). A clear example of the latter is Spain, where risk figures of approximately 20% have been reported for this population Therefore, it is not surprising that a considerable amount of research has been devoted to explaining the aetiology of eating disorders in both their clinical and sub‐clinical forms (i.e., disordered eating, DE) (Farstad, McGeown & von Ranson, 2016; Lantz, Gaspar, DiTore, Piers & Schaumberg, 2018; Schaefer & Thompson, 2018).…”

Conductas alimentarias de riesgo y satisfacción corporal en estudiantes universitarios mexicanos

“…Instead, they see an image that is influenced and "modified" by personal perceptions of the perfect body. This distortion of body image plus body image dissatisfaction has been linked to eating disorders 9 . Although REB, are at a midpoint between "normal" eating behaviors and eating disorders, their presence reveals psychological features of the individual that presents them, because it is associated with problems of self-perceived image distortion, leading to low rates of body satisfaction and low self-esteem, which favors the execution of REB 1,25 .…”

“…Body dissatisfaction is characterized by value judgments about one's own body, which often do not conform to reality. It is influenced by social and cultural factors, among which body aesthetic models are the most important 9 . Body dissatisfaction is considered a risk factor for the development of risky eating behaviors and an important factor in the origin and maintenance of eating disorders.…”