TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationships between drive for muscularity, muscularity-oriented eating behaviors, and muscle dysmorphia
T2 - A study with cisgender lesbian and bisexual women
AU - Precinotto, Maria Laura
AU - Brisotti, Isabella Maria Fiori
AU - de Carvalho, Pedro Henrique Berbert
AU - Junqueira, Alessandra Costa Pereira
AU - Nagata, Jason M.
AU - Compte, Emilio J.
AU - Murray, Stuart B.
AU - Laus, Maria Fernanda
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
PY - 2026/9
Y1 - 2026/9
N2 - Individuals with Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) exhibit a high drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behavior. Sexual minorities are also vulnerable to disturbances in body image and eating behavior; however, research on MD in sexual minority women is scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to propose and evaluate an exploratory theoretical model of MD in Brazilian cisgender lesbian and bisexual women that includes sociodemographic variables (sexual orientation, skin color, BMI, and age), drive for muscularity, and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors. The study included 1131 participants aged 18–50. Structural equation modeling indicated that drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors were associated with different dimensions of MD symptoms. However, sexual orientation and skin color were not associated with muscularity-related dimensions among lesbians and bisexual women. Younger women were more vulnerable to muscularity-related issues, and BMI had varying associations depending on the construct analyzed. Overall, drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors were interrelated with MD symptoms in cisgender lesbian and bisexual women. The final refined model demonstrated good fit: χ²(1010) = 8287.982, p < .001; χ²/df = 8.24; CFI = .949; TLI = .954; RMSEA = .080 [90% CI = .078 –.081]. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors as targets for screening, prevention, and intervention in health care settings.
AB - Individuals with Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) exhibit a high drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behavior. Sexual minorities are also vulnerable to disturbances in body image and eating behavior; however, research on MD in sexual minority women is scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to propose and evaluate an exploratory theoretical model of MD in Brazilian cisgender lesbian and bisexual women that includes sociodemographic variables (sexual orientation, skin color, BMI, and age), drive for muscularity, and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors. The study included 1131 participants aged 18–50. Structural equation modeling indicated that drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors were associated with different dimensions of MD symptoms. However, sexual orientation and skin color were not associated with muscularity-related dimensions among lesbians and bisexual women. Younger women were more vulnerable to muscularity-related issues, and BMI had varying associations depending on the construct analyzed. Overall, drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors were interrelated with MD symptoms in cisgender lesbian and bisexual women. The final refined model demonstrated good fit: χ²(1010) = 8287.982, p < .001; χ²/df = 8.24; CFI = .949; TLI = .954; RMSEA = .080 [90% CI = .078 –.081]. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors as targets for screening, prevention, and intervention in health care settings.
KW - Body image
KW - Disordered eating behavior
KW - Muscle dysmorphia
KW - Sexual minorities
KW - Women
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105039303680
U2 - 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102107
DO - 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102107
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105039303680
SN - 1740-1445
VL - 58
JO - Body Image
JF - Body Image
M1 - 102107
ER -