Do lesbian women have a better body image? Comparisons with heterosexual women and model of lesbian-specific factors.
Body dissatisfaction is prevalent among women but may be less common among lesbian women. Although research trends toward this conclusion when samples are well-matched and body mass index (BMI) is controlled for, many studies do not exhibit these characteristics. Furthermore, few studies have examined sociocultural contributors to group differences. I addressed limitations of past research with a large community sample of lesbian (n=479) and heterosexual (n=400) women. I contrasted the two sexual identity groups on several body dissatisfaction measures, and tested theoretically derived relationships between lesbian-specific cultural factors and body dissatisfaction. As predicted, lesbian women reported lower body dissatisfaction than did heterosexual women on three of four measures, and expressed a larger ideal body size. A structural equation model of lesbian-specific risk and protective factors for body dissatisfaction did not reveal significant relationships. This study represents a first attempt to model culturally specific influences on lesbian body image.
University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychology, 1007 West Harrison Street, M/C 285, Chicago, IL 60607, USA. Electronic address: Lisaalvy@gmail.com.
Lisa M
LM
Alvy
D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology
Body dissatisfaction; Lesbian women; Measurement invariance; Sexual orientation; Structural equation model; Theoretical framework