Nutrients 2012, 4(9), 1260-1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu4091260
Body-Related Social Comparison and Disordered Eating among Adolescent Females with an Eating Disorder, Depressive Disorder, and Healthy Controls
1
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
2
Windsor Essex Community Health Centre, 1585 Ouellette Ave, Windsor, ON N8X 1K5, Canada
3
Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
4
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC3077, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 12 June 2012 / Revised: 28 August 2012 / Accepted: 29 August 2012 / Published: 11 September 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maladaptive Eating Attitudes in Youth)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between body-related social comparison (BRSC) and eating disorders (EDs) by: (a) comparing the degree of BRSC in adolescents with an ED, depressive disorder (DD), and no psychiatric history; and (b) investigating whether BRSC is associated with ED symptoms after controlling for symptoms of depression and self-esteem. Participants were 75 girls, aged 12–18 (25 per diagnostic group). To assess BRSC, participants reported on a 5-point Likert scale how often they compare their body to others’. Participants also completed a diagnostic interview, Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Compared to adolescents with a DD and healthy adolescents, adolescents with an ED engaged in significantly more BRSC (p ≤ 0.001). Collapsing across groups, BRSC was significantly positively correlated with ED symptoms (p ≤ 0.01), and these associations remained even after controlling for two robust predictors of both ED symptoms and social comparison, namely BDI-II and RSE. In conclusion, BRSC seems to be strongly related to EDs. Treatment for adolescents with an ED may focus on reducing BRSC. View Full-Text
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0).
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MDPI and ACS Style
Hamel, A.E.; Zaitsoff, S.L.; Taylor, A.; Menna, R.; Grange, D.L. Body-Related Social Comparison and Disordered Eating among Adolescent Females with an Eating Disorder, Depressive Disorder, and Healthy Controls. Nutrients 2012, 4, 1260-1272.
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