Skin Shade Discrimination Is Associated With Disordered Weight Control Behaviors in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore,...

Emerging evidence indicates that experiencing discrimination is associated with disordered eating. This study aimed to test the association between experiences of colorism (skin shade discrimination penalizing those with darker skin) and the prevalence of disordered weight control behaviors (DWCBs) in four Asian countries/regions.

A total of 5251 adults (52.4% women) from Hong Kong (n = 1014), Malaysia (n = 1141), Singapore (n = 1049), and Thailand (n = 2047) completed an online survey. Participants provided demographic information, completed a scale on skin shade discrimination and reported engagement in any DWCBs (e.g., vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise, as well as the use of laxatives, diet pills, fat burners, detox/cleansing dietary supplements, muscle building/sport-performance dietary supplements, anabolic steroids) in the past 3 months. Multivariable logistic analyses were conducted to estimate the cross-sectional association between experiences of skin shade discrimination and DWCBs, controlling for demographic information including skin shade, age, gender, and geographic region.

One in four (25.3%) participants reported experiencing skin shade discrimination (ranging from 14.2% in Hong Kong to 31.0% in Thailand) and almost half (53.8%) reported engaging in at least one DWCB in the past 3 months. Overall, experiences of skin shade discrimination were associated with nearly fivefold higher odds of engaging in DWCBs in the same period (5.44; 95% CI [4.67, 6.33]).

Findings highlight colorism as a potential sociocultural correlate of DWCBs among adults in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. This association warrants further investigation.