Barnhart Wesley R, Cui Tianxiang, Zhang Hengyue, Cui Shuqi, Zhao Yiqing, Lu Yining, He Jinbo
Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA.
Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Macau, China.
Int J Eat Disord. 2023 Oct;56(10):1875-1886. doi: 10.1002/eat.24017. Epub 2023 Jun 30.
We tested an integrated model of three prominent theories of disordered eating (tripartite influence theory, objectification theory, and social comparison theory) in a sample of older Chinese men and women.
Chinese older men (n = 270) and women (n = 160) completed questionnaires assessing the tripartite influence, objectification, and social comparison theories and thinness- and muscularity-oriented disordered eating. Two structural equation models were tested in Chinese older men and women.
The integrated model showed good model fit and described meaningful variance in thinness- and muscularity-oriented disordered eating in Chinese older men and women. Higher appearance pressures were uniquely related to higher muscularity-oriented disordered eating in men. Across both gender groups, higher thinness internalization was uniquely related to higher thinness- and muscularity-oriented disordered eating, and in women only, higher muscularity internalization was uniquely related to lower thinness-oriented disordered eating. In men, higher upward and downward body image comparisons were uniquely related to higher and lower, respectively, muscularity-oriented disordered eating. In women, higher upward body image comparisons were only uniquely related to higher muscularity-oriented disordered eating while higher downward body image comparisons were uniquely related to both outcomes. Higher body shame was uniquely related to higher thinness-oriented disordered eating across both groups and in men alone, higher body shame was also uniquely related to higher muscularity-oriented disordered eating.
Findings, which tested the integration of tripartite influence, objectification, and social comparison theories, inform the prevention and treatment of disordered eating in Chinese older populations.
The present study is the first to describe theories of disordered eating (tripartite influence, objectification, and social comparison) in Chinese older adults. Findings suggested good model fit and the integrated models described meaningful variance in thinness- and muscularity-oriented disordered eating in Chinese older women and men. Findings extend existing theories of disordered eating and, pending further study, may inform theory-driven prevention and treatment approaches in Chinese older adults.
我们在一组中国老年男性和女性样本中测试了三种突出的饮食失调理论（三方影响理论、客体化理论和社会比较理论）的综合模型。
中国老年男性（n = 270）和女性（n = 160）完成了评估三方影响、客体化和社会比较理论以及以瘦和肌肉为导向的饮食失调的问卷。在中国老年男性和女性中测试了两个结构方程模型。
综合模型显示出良好的模型拟合，并描述了中国老年男性和女性中以瘦和肌肉为导向的饮食失调中有意义的方差。较高的外表压力与男性中较高的以肌肉为导向的饮食失调有独特的关联。在两个性别组中，较高的瘦内化与较高的以瘦和肌肉为导向的饮食失调有独特的关联，并且仅在女性中，较高的肌肉内化与较低的以瘦为导向的饮食失调有独特的关联。在男性中，较高的向上和向下身体形象比较分别与较高和较低的以肌肉为导向的饮食失调有独特的关联。在女性中，较高的向上身体形象比较仅与较高的以肌肉为导向的饮食失调有独特的关联，而较高的向下身体形象比较与两种结果都有独特的关联。较高的身体羞耻感与两组中较高的以瘦为导向的饮食失调有独特的关联，并且仅在男性中，较高的身体羞耻感也与较高的以肌肉为导向的饮食失调有独特的关联。
测试三方影响、客体化和社会比较理论整合的研究结果为中国老年人群饮食失调的预防和治疗提供了信息。
本研究首次描述了中国老年人饮食失调的理论（三方影响、客体化和社会比较）。研究结果表明模型拟合良好，综合模型描述了中国老年女性和男性中以瘦和肌肉为导向的饮食失调中有意义的方差。研究结果扩展了现有的饮食失调理论，并且在进一步研究之前，可能为中国老年人中基于理论的预防和治疗方法提供信息。
