Human Development & Family Science Doctoral Work

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Browsing Human Development & Family Science Doctoral Work by Subject "Body Image"

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    Multiracial Identity as a Factor in Body Image and Disordered Eating
    (North Dakota State University, 2022) Leonard, Kerrie
    Emerging adulthood is a significant developmental stage where both ethnic-racial identitydevelopment and body dissatisfaction/disordered eating are salient. Past research suggests that there are links between identity development and body image/disordered eating (Palmeroni et al., 2020). Additionally, studies in the body image/disordered eating field have begun to examine differences among ethnic-racial groups (see Bucchianeri et al., 2016). However, there is limited research with Multiracial individuals (i.e., individuals with two or more ethnic-racial backgrounds). It is undetermined how Multiracial identity development influences body image and disordered eating behaviors. Thus, two studies were conducted to explore such connections. Participants included 174 Multiracial emerging adults (M = 21.8 years, SD = 2.08 years) in the U.S. Most participants were women (73.6%). The most common Multiracial identities were Asian-White (36.2%) and Black-White (23.0%). Study 1 was a mixed-method study that tested the racial identity-related factors of ethnic-racial identity achievement (i.e., feeling secure in one’s identity), racial ambiguity, racial incongruity, race esteem, and self-rated impact of identity and their associations with body dissatisfaction, body appreciation, and disordered eating. Furthermore, participants provided their overall thoughts and feelings on the impact of their Multiracial identity on their body image. Study 2 was a qualitative study that further explored Multiracial participants’ lived experiences with exoticization, racial ambiguity, and racial incongruity and how those experiences influenced their feelings towards their bodies. Quantitative results showed that ethnic-racial identity achievement and race esteem were positively associated with body appreciation. The qualitative findings provided mixed evidence, with an array of diverse appraisals and feelings ranging from positive to negative. Together, this research illuminates the ways in which being Multiracial plays a role in body image and disordered eating. The overall findings have implications for medical professionals, families, prevention and intervention programming, and Multiracial individuals themselves. Research with Multiracial participants is particularly important given that the U.S. Multiracial population is growing at a swift pace and that body image/disordered eating issues are prevalent for emerging adults.