| dc.description.abstract | 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. | en_US |
