Abstract:
The relationship between biopsychosocial factors and disordered eating is well documented in the literature, with an escalating focus on female adolescents. However, there is a dearth of research that examines the mechanism underlying this relationship. This study aimed to bridge this gap by investigating the parallel mediation of internalization of appearance ideals and comparison of appearance in the relationships between biopsychosocial factors (BMI, depression, self-esteem, perfectionism, peer-weight teasing and family functioning) with disordered eating. A total of 411 teenager females (Mage= 15.31, SD= 1.66) were recruited from schools in Islamabad, Pakistan via purposive sampling. Data was collected through the EDE-Q-SF, DASS, RSES, BTPS-SF, MRFS, GF-FAD, PACS-R, and SATAQ-4. BMI was calculated by measuring the weight and height of the participants. Results generated, using PROCESS Macro Model 4, revealed that BMI and disordered eating were partially mediated by internalization of appearance ideals and comparison of appearance. Depression was partially mediated by comparison of appearance and self-esteem was fully mediated by comparison of appearance. Perfectionism was fully mediated by internalization of appearance ideals, peer-weight teasing was partially mediated by internalization of appearance ideals and comparison of appearance, and family functioning was fully mediated by comparison of appearance. The results underscored differential relations of biopsychosocial factors with exacerbations in disordered eating among Pakistani adolescent females. Findings suggested that understanding the underlying mechanisms that connect disordered eating to its predictors is vital for the development of specific intervention and prevention strategies to reduce disordered eating in the targeted population. Understanding such pathways may provide valuable insights on how each variable contributes to the development and maintenance of eating pathology.
