EVALUATING ATTITUDES ABOUT AGING AND BODY COMPARISON AS MODERATORS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENOPAUSAL STATUS AND DISORDERED EATING AND BODY IMAGE CONCERNS AMONG MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN

EVALUATING ATTITUDES ABOUT AGING AND BODY COMPARISON AS MODERATORS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENOPAUSAL STATUS AND DISORDERED EATING AND BODY IMAGE CONCERNS AMONG MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN Public Deposited

Last Modified

Creator

Thompson, Katherine
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Abstract

The peri-menopausal transition period may be a critical window of vulnerability for disordered eating behaviors and body image concerns. No study has examined which women may be particularly at-risk during this period. This study explored group differences in disordered eating and body image by menopausal status, and whether appearance-related aging concerns and body comparison moderated these relationships. Three hundred and ten women (ages 40-68) completed an online survey. The three menopausal status groups did not significantly differ on either disordered eating or body image concerns. Results showed a significant interaction between menopausal status and aging concerns such that at low levels of aging concerns, peri-menopausal women reported greater dietary restraint than pre-menopausal women. Finally, a significant interaction between menopausal status and body comparison indicated that among women who are high in body comparison, post-menopausal women reported significantly more dietary restraint compared to both pre- and peri-menopausal women.

Date of publication