Papini Natalie M, Squires Nikole D, Jones Amber Iola, Mundell Leah, Herrmann Stephen D, Lopez Nanette V
Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.
Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, Dr., Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2025 Dec 31;20(1):2577285. doi: 10.1080/17482631.2025.2577285. Epub 2025 Nov 8.
Self-compassion (SC) is associated with reduced eating disorder pathology, body dissatisfaction, and weight concerns, but most SC interventions and research samples focus on women. Because men often face unique challenges related to weight stigma and masculine norms, SC may be especially valuable in supporting emotion-regulation in health coaching programs. Little is known about how adult men engaged in weight loss interpret and experience SC, limiting the reach of interventions intended to support sustainable health behavior change. As such, the purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore how adult men seeking weight loss with health coaching make sense of SC during weight loss. Specifically, we examined experiences and meanings of SC, the perceived barriers and facilitators to practicing it, and how body image and weight-related experiences shape their understanding and application of SC.
Using reflexive thematic analysis, we explored how 11 adult men enrolled in a commercial weight-normative health coaching program made sense of self-compassion in the context of body image, dieting, and masculinity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed through an inductive, interpretive process emphasizing information power and meaning-making over saturation. Researcher reflexivity and positionality were integrated throughout the analytic process.
Seven themes and 20 subthemes were developed. Key themes included: (1) SC as a skill to be learned and practiced; (2) concordance between SC and self-image, including gender norms; (3) the interplay between SC and body image; (4) SC in action through mindset and behavior; (5) barriers to SC such as weight stigma, toxic masculinity, and dieting cycles; (6) facilitators to SC including life experience and upbringing; and (7) SC as a mask for disordered eating and exercise behaviors.
Findings highlight the need to tailor SC interventions to address masculine norms, weight stigma, and internalized bias.
自我同情（SC）与饮食失调病理学、身体不满和体重担忧的减轻相关，但大多数自我同情干预措施和研究样本都集中在女性身上。由于男性经常面临与体重耻辱和男性规范相关的独特挑战，自我同情在支持健康指导计划中的情绪调节方面可能特别有价值。关于参与减肥的成年男性如何理解和体验自我同情，我们知之甚少，这限制了旨在支持可持续健康行为改变的干预措施的范围。因此，本研究的目的是定性探索寻求健康指导以减肥的成年男性在减肥过程中如何理解自我同情。具体而言，我们研究了自我同情的体验和意义、实践自我同情的感知障碍和促进因素，以及身体形象和与体重相关的经历如何塑造他们对自我同情的理解和应用。
我们采用反思性主题分析，探讨了11名参加商业体重规范健康指导计划的成年男性在身体形象、节食和男子气概背景下如何理解自我同情。进行了半结构化访谈，转录并通过强调信息力量和意义建构而非饱和度的归纳、解释过程进行分析。在整个分析过程中融入了研究者的反思和立场。
形成了七个主题和二十个子主题。关键主题包括：（1）自我同情是一项需要学习和实践的技能；（2）自我同情与自我形象（包括性别规范）之间的一致性；（3）自我同情与身体形象之间的相互作用；（4）通过心态和行为表现出来的自我同情；（5）自我同情的障碍，如体重耻辱、有害的男子气概和节食循环；（6）自我同情的促进因素，包括生活经历和成长环境；（7）自我同情作为饮食失调和运动行为的掩饰。
研究结果强调了调整自我同情干预措施以解决男性规范、体重耻辱和内化偏见的必要性。
