Conformity to masculine gender norms and eating disorder symptomatology

Eating disorders (EDs) are prevalent among adolescents and young adults across gender identities, yet sociocultural correlates, such as gender norms, remain understudied in gender diverse samples. The present cross-sectional study examined associations between conformity to masculine gender norms and eating disorder symptomatology in a large Canadian sample of adolescents and young adults. Participants aged 16-30 years (N = 2723; 1073 boys/men, 1477 girls/women, and 173 transgender/gender diverse individuals) completed a measure of conformity to masculine gender norms and eating disorder symptomatology. Linear regression analyses were conducted in the overall sample and stratified by gender (cisgender girls and young women, cisgender boys and young men, transgender and gender diverse [TGD] individuals), adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. In the overall sample, greater conformity to masculine gender norms, such as Emotional Control, Self-Reliance, Primacy of Work, Winning, and Heterosexual Self-Presentation, was associated with higher ED symptomatology. Gender-stratified analyses revealed both shared and distinct patterns of association. These results highlight the importance of conceptualizing masculinity as a multi-dimensional, gender-inclusive construct, and underscore the need to consider masculine gender norms and eating disorder symptomatology across diverse populations.