Prevention of Eating Disorders: Identification of Predictor Variables

Abstract

To prevent eating disorders, we must identify-specific risk and protective factors that can be effectively modified. Prospective data analyses with adolescent samples have substantiated that body dissatisfaction is the single strongest predictor of eating disorder symptomatology. The identification of variables that are predictive of body dissatisfaction would significantly aid in the development of early prevention programming designed to intervene before an adolescent evidences risk status. To achieve this goal, a 168-item survey was administered to 830 females in Grades 6–12 (mean age = 14.60 years). A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were completed, and several path analysis models were tested. Results indicated that assisting adolescent females in the recognition of positive attributes of their physical appearance would significantly increase their feelings of self-efficacy, reduce the internalization or acceptance of current sociocultural mores, and facilitate a rejection of the Utopian skeletal body. The final path analysis model accounted for 57% of the variance in body dissatisfaction.