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Anxiety as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Body Image and Restrained Eating
Rita Doumit1, Nadine Zeeni2, Maria Jose Sanchez Ruiz2
1Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon. rita.doumit@lau.edu.lb.
Purpose:
To examine three indicators of psychopathology (stress, anxiety, and depression) as potential moderators of the relationship between body image dissatisfaction (BID) and restrained, emotional, and external eating, while controlling for family-related variables (i.e., household income, living situation, and psychopathology in the family) and individual variables (i.e., body mass index, physical activity, and major life events).
Design And Methods:
A descriptive, correlational cross-sectional design was used. A sample of 894 female undergraduates aged between 18 and 25 completed a self-reported questionnaire.
Findings:
Moderation analyses indicated that anxiety significantly moderated the relationship between BID and restrained eating, whereas depression and stress did not.
Practice Implications:
Findings may be used in the development and implementation of education and prevention programs for disordered eating in college campuses. The usefulness of these findings for nursing practice is discussed.
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