Influence of Body Image, Risk of Eating Disorder, Psychological Characteristics, and Mood-Anxious Symptoms on Overweight and Obesity in Chilean Youth

Paula Lizana-Calderón, Jesús M. Alvarado, Claudia Cruzat-Mandich, Fernanda Díaz-Castrillón, Mauricio Soto-Núñez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between body image, eating disorders, psychological characteristics, and mood and anxiety symptoms in Chilean youth, with nutritional status, particularly overweight and obesity. With a sample of 1001 participants from five regions of Chile, aged 15 to 23 years. The Eating Disorder Inventory 3 (EDI-3), the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire Appearance Scales (MBSRQ_AS), and the Symptom Inventory Derogatis Revised (SCL90-R) and a sociodemographic questionnaire were used to analyze these variables. A model including nine exogenous (independent) variables and ten endogenous variables, based on a literature review, was evaluated by path analysis. The results show a significant association between factors such as sex, family history of overweight, self-classification by weight, and body dissatisfaction with body mass index (BMI). Eating behaviors such as overeating, and lack of appetite were also found to be influenced by interpersonal sensitivity, overweight preoccupation, and drive for thinness. The study underscores the importance of promoting a positive body image and addressing overweight/obesity from a combined health psychology and public health perspective, highlighting the need for interventions that consider nutritional status, and in particular overweight and obesity, as a phenomenon with multifactorial causes and maintainers.

Original languageEnglish
Article number154
JournalBehavioral Sciences
Volume14
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2024
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • body image
  • body mass index (BMI)
  • eating disorders
  • obesity in young people
  • overweight
  • path analysis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Influence of Body Image, Risk of Eating Disorder, Psychological Characteristics, and Mood-Anxious Symptoms on Overweight and Obesity in Chilean Youth'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this