Body size dissatisfaction and avoidance behavior: How gender, age, ethnicity, and relative clothing size predict what some won’t try
- ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Shawn Bergman Ph.D, Assistant Professor (Creator)
- Lisa Curtin Ph.D., Professor and Clinical M.A Program Director (Creator)
- Denise M. Martz Ph.D., Professor and Assistant Chair (Creator)
- Rose Mary Webb Ph.D., Associate Professor and Experimental Psychology Concentration Director (Creator)
- Institution
- Appalachian State University (ASU )
- Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/
Abstract: Sixty-eight percent of U.S. adults are overweight/obese, and this epidemic has physical, psychosocial, and behavioral consequences. An internet sample of adults (N = 2997) perceiving themselves as larger than ideal in clothing size reported their body mass index (BMI), relative clothing size (RS; discrepancy between current and ideal size), and avoidance behaviors. Exploratory factor analysis of 10 avoid-ance items produced social avoidance and body display avoidance factors. A relative importance analysis revealed RS as a better predictor than BMI for avoidance. A hierarchical multivariate analysis of covariance found RS to predict both avoidance constructs. The relationship between RS and both avoidance con-structs was stronger for women than men, and for younger as compared to older participants. Caucasians reported more body display avoidance than African Americans. This suggests that personal dissatisfac-tion with body size may deter involvement in varied life events and that women are especially avoidant of activities that entail displaying their bodies.
Body size dissatisfaction and avoidance behavior: How gender, age, ethnicity, and relative clothing size predict what some won’t try
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Laura E. Maphis, Denise M. Martz, Shawn S. Bergman, Lisa A. Curtin , Rose Mary Webb (2013) "Body size dissatisfaction and avoidance behavior: How gender, age, ethnicity, and relative clothing size predict what some won’t try" Body Image volume 10 pp. 361-368 (ISSN 1740-1445) Version of Record Available from (www.sciencedirect.com)
- Language: English
- Date: 2013
- Keywords
- Body mass index, Relative size, Body image, Avoidance