Risk of eating disorder and sociocultural influence on appearance in gym-going women: the role of diet
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/mw2025884Keywords:
eating disorder, sociocultural influence, body ideal, social pressure, dietAbstract
Introduction. The risk of eating disorder symptoms (ED-R) among gym-attending women is linked to sociocultural influences on appearance, including thin-ideal internalization (IB), muscular-ideal internalization (IM), and pressures from peers (PP), family (FP), and media (MP). A network approach enables the characterization of their interdependence.
Objective. To compare the architecture and centrality of ED-R–sociocultural networks according to diet adherence (yes/no). Method. Cross-sectional study with women attending gyms. The EAT-25 (ED-R) and SATAQ (IB, IM, PP, FP, MP) were administered. Networks were estimated using EBICglasso; strength, betweenness, closeness, and expected influence were computed; accuracy was assessed via bootstrapping.
Results. Both networks included six nodes (15 possible edges). Without diet adherence: a less dense network, with PP and ED-R as the most central nodes, and IB showing moderate magnitudes. With diet adherence: a denser network, where IB emerged with the highest positive expected influence; ED-R retained structural centrality (high betweenness/closeness) but displayed negative expected influence; PP maintained positive influence with low strength; IM and MP remained peripheral.
Discussion. Diet adherence was associated with increased density and functional reorganization: sociocultural propagation concentrated in IB, while ED-R acted as a structural but negatively influential node.
Conclusions. Diet adherence reconfigures the pathways between ED-R and sociocultural factors (IB, IM, PP, FP, MP). Longitudinal and interventional studies are recommended to test causality and design targeted strategies focusing on IB and PP.
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