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Femininity, masculinity, and disordered eating: a meta-analytic review
1Department of Psychology, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio 43022, USA.
The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|November 1, 1997
Summary
Gender role adherence is linked to eating problems, with femininity showing a positive association and masculinity a negative one. This highlights the importance of understanding gender in eating disorder psychopathology.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychopathology
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, exhibit a significant gender discrepancy in prevalence rates.
- Understanding the developmental psychopathology of these disorders necessitates explaining this gender gap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between gender role adherence and the presence of eating problems using meta-analysis.
- To clarify the role of gender in the etiology of eating disorders.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis was conducted on 22 studies selected from an initial pool of 69.
- Measures of difference and homogeneity were calculated.
- Gender role adherence was assessed using the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) or the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI).
Main Results:
- A small, heterogeneous positive relationship was found between femininity and eating problems.
- A small, heterogeneous negative relationship was observed between masculinity and eating problems.
- Clinical samples revealed larger discrepancies in masculinity scores between eating-disordered and control groups compared to survey-based studies.
Conclusions:
- Despite limitations in the construct validity of the PAQ and BSRI for this research area, gender role appears related to eating problems.
- Further research is needed to operationalize specific aspects of femininity linked to eating problems and examine their connection to eating disorders.