Rosenbaum Diane L, August Kristin J, Gillen Meghan M, Markey Charlotte H
Abington College, Psychological and Social Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, 1600 Woodland Road, Abington, PA, 19001, USA.
Rutgers University, Camden, USA.
J Eat Disord. 2023 Jan 11;11(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s40337-023-00732-z.
Sexual minority individuals are at disproportionately greater risk for eating disorders, yet little is known about the ways in which factors in the social environment relate to eating disorder symptoms in this population. Utilizing an ecological systems theory framework, we investigated the relative relationships of macro level (i.e., internalization of sociocultural attitudes about appearance) and micro level (i.e., quality of romantic relationship) social environment influences.
Men (n = 144) and women (n = 144) in committed same-gender relationships were recruited as a dyad and completed study questionnaires, including multiple measures of eating disorder symptoms. Multilevel models controlling for key variables (e.g., body mass index) were used to examine gender differences, main effects, and interactions.
Men reported greater internalization of sociocultural attitudes and uncontrolled eating. Greater internalization of sociocultural attitudes was related to greater eating pathology across all measures. For men, greater relationship quality was related to less uncontrolled eating.
Individuals in same-gender relationships experience macro (e.g., sociocultural) level vulnerability factors in relation to disordered eating; however, internalization of sociocultural attitudes may be greater for men. Support at the microsystem level in the form of a high quality committed romantic relationship appears to be helpful protection against uncontrolled eating for men.
性少数群体个体患饮食失调症的风险格外高，但对于社会环境因素与该群体饮食失调症状之间的关联方式，我们却知之甚少。我们运用生态系统理论框架，研究了宏观层面（即社会文化对外表态度的内化）和微观层面（即恋爱关系质量）社会环境影响的相对关系。
招募处于稳定同性恋爱关系中的男性（n = 144）和女性（n = 144）作为二元组，让他们完成研究问卷，包括多项饮食失调症状测量。使用控制关键变量（如体重指数）的多层次模型来检验性别差异、主效应和相互作用。
男性报告称社会文化态度的内化程度更高，且存在非节制性饮食。社会文化态度的内化程度越高，在所有测量指标中与更严重的饮食问题相关。对于男性而言，恋爱关系质量越高，非节制性饮食就越少。
处于同性恋爱关系中的个体在饮食失调方面会经历宏观层面（如社会文化）的脆弱性因素；然而，男性对社会文化态度的内化程度可能更高。以高质量稳定恋爱关系形式提供的微观系统层面的支持，似乎有助于男性预防非节制性饮食。
