The association between maternal criticism and body dissatisfaction on disordered eating pathology across racial and ethnic groups.

Abstract

Objectives: Limited research exists examining the association of maternal weight-, shape-, and size-related criticism with disordered eating pathology across racial and ethnic groups. Method: The sample consisted of 392 undergraduate females and 368 undergraduate males for a total of 760 individuals. Disordered eating pathology, body dissatisfaction, and maternal criticism were assessed in 484 White, 134 Latinx, and 142 Asian American undergraduates. Hierarchical regression, correlation, and t-test analyses were conducted for each ethnic group. Results: Among all three groups, body dissatisfaction, maternal criticism, and gender were significantly associated with disordered eating pathology. In addition, disordered eating and maternal criticism were greater among female undergraduates than among male undergraduates across all groups. However, body dissatisfaction did not differ significantly between female and male undergraduates in any of the three racial and ethnic groups. Findings from this study suggest that individual body dissatisfaction and maternal criticism may be differentially linked with disordered eating pathology across racial and ethnic groups. Among Whites and Latinx, body dissatisfaction was more strongly associated with disordered eating pathology than was perceived maternal criticism. However, among Asian Americans, perceived maternal criticism was more strongly associated with disordered eating pathology than was body dissatisfaction. Conclusions: Maternal criticism was the most saliently linked with disordered eating pathology among Asian Americans. Findings from this study speak to individual and familial factors impacting disordered eating across racial and ethnic groups. Additionally, this study highlights the potential role of culture on disordered eating, particularly self-construal and collectivistic and individualistic orientations.

Gender-specific responses to multifaceted factors associated with disordered eating among adolescents of 7th to 9th grade

“…For example, the Children’s Eating Attitudes Test has been used in some studies on disordered eating among adolescents [ 77 , 87 ]. The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire is another commonly used tool to measure disordered eating in Western contexts [ 88 – 90 ]. Moreover, the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 has been applied to measure disordered eating in Western and Southeast Asian contexts [ 56 , 57 ].…”

Racial and ethnic differences in the association between parent‐oriented perfectionism and disordered eating in college women

“…Although studies have demonstrated that self‐oriented perfectionism contributes to EDs across various populations (Bulik et al, ; Castro‐Fornieles et al, ; Shafran & Mansell, ), less is known about the effects of parent‐oriented perfectionism. However, parental expectations and criticism tend to be elevated in collectivist cultures that emphasize filial piety, respect, and obedience—all of which could negatively impact mental health outcomes, including EDs (Chang et al, ; DiBartolo & Rendon, ; Yu & Perez, ). This investigation specifically assessed relations among participants’ perceptions of PC and PE and body dissatisfaction, restraint, LOC eating, purging, and compensatory exercise in White, Black, Latina, Asian American, and multiracial college women.…”

“…High parental pressure, in particular, appears uniquely related to EDs, relative to other psychiatric conditions (Horesh et al, ). Additionally, young women experiencing parental criticism are more likely to report disordered eating, especially bulimic symptoms (de Leon‐Vasquez, Villalobos‐Hernandez, Rivera‐Marquez, & Unikel‐Santoncini, ; Hanna & Bond, ); however, these associations might vary by racial/ethnic group, potentially due to differing cultural values (e.g., individualism vs. collectivism) (Yu & Perez, ). Further investigation could elucidate relations between parent‐oriented perfectionism and disordered eating across cultural groups.…”

The Body Acceptance by Others Scale-2 (BAOS-2): Psychometric properties of a Bahasa Malaysia (Malay) translation and an assessment of invariance across Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the United States

“…Moreover, to the extent that interdependent relationships come with a greater sense of obligation (Adams & Plaut, 2003), ensuring that all members feel accepted in terms of their physical selves may also help to ensure that social harmony is maintained. Indeed, there is some evidence that appearance commentary is both common and socially acceptable in interdependent cultures, although much of the available research has focused on negative elements (e.g., criticism of appearance, mixed messages about weight and eating; Smart & Tsong, 2014;Yu & Perez, 2020). In addition, interdependent selfconstrual is associated with greater perceived familial and global support (Goodwin & Plaza, 2000).…”