title: An Exploration of the Associations Among Multiple Aspects of Religiousness, Body Image, Eating Pathology, and Appearance Investment.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of positive and negative aspects of religiousness on eating pathology, body satisfaction, and appearance investment beyond previously established variables (age, BMI, exercise frequency, weight stability, and self-esteem). Data collected from 168 adult females at a Catholic-affiliated university were analyzed using hierarchical linear regressions. As expected, some religiousness variables (spirituality and seeing one's body as having sacred qualities) were associated with eating pathology, body satisfaction, and appearance investment in potentially beneficial ways, and others (negative interaction with one's religious community) were associated in potentially harmful ways. Interestingly, greater religious meaning, or the importance of religion in one's life, was associated with greater eating pathology, and some variables (religious coping, participation in and support from one's religious community) expected to be associated with greater body satisfaction were unrelated. Results are discussed in terms of mechanisms through which the aspects of religiousness may influence body satisfaction, appearance investment, and eating pathology.
authors.affiliation: Women's Health, Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53295, USA. clgoulet@gmail.com.|Division of General Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA. clgoulet@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goulet
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, WI, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henrie
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Szymanski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Appearance investment; Body dissatisfaction; Eating pathology; Religiousness