Relative Adiposity and Body Dissatisfaction in Young Adult Sexual Minority Women

The purpose of this study was to examine potential differences in body mass index (BMI), relative adiposity (%Fat), and body dissatisfaction (BD) between heterosexual (HSW) and sexual minority women (SMW). Young adult women (n = 84; 23.8% SMW; 21.9 ± 3.8 years) were included in our analysis. %Fat was assessed using a four-compartment model. BD was assessed using the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), the BD subscale of the Eating Disorders Inventory Questionnaire (EDI-BD), the appearance evaluation subscale of the Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ-AE), and the Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS). Potential differences in BMI, %Fat, and BD between sexual orientation groups were assessed using independent samples t-tests. Bivariate correlations were assessed using Pearson's r. No differences in BMI or BD were observed between groups (all p > .05). Higher %Fat was observed in SMW when compared to HSW (p = .046), and higher %Fat was associated with higher BSQ (r = .364), EDI-BD (r = .388), lower MBSRQ-AE (r = .388), and PFRS (r = .521), collectively indicating greater BD. %Fat was higher in SMW, and higher %Fat was associated with greater BD, regardless of sexual orientation. These results suggest that SMW tend to have higher %Fat than heterosexual counterparts which would increase their risk of negative health outcomes.