5 - (SYM 81) Adopting an Intersectional Approach to Eating and Body Image Disturbances in Sexual and Gender Minority Women and Men: A Latent Profile Analysis

Background: Sexual and gender minority individuals (SGM) display higher rates of eating and body image disturbances relative to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Intersectionality theory—a framework which highlights how numerous biological, social, and cultural categories overlap to create individualized experiences of discrimination and oppression—suggests that other aspects of their identities (e.g., race, disability status) may also shape their experiences of eating and body image disturbances. These overlapping factors are rarely examined in eating and body image literature, which only recently expanded to include SGM individuals. The present study utilized an intersectional, person-centered approach to describe both adaptive and maladaptive eating and body image outcomes in SGM individuals.

 

Methods: Participants (N = 552) were online community members who identified as primarily cisgender (n = 301) or transgender (n = 156); bisexual (n = 186) or gay (n = 87); overweight or obese (n = 262); and white (n = 397). They completed an online survey packet including demographics and self-reported eating pathology, emotional eating, and body appreciation.

Results: Latent profile analysis revealed four distinct classes: 1) highest eating pathology and lowest body appreciation (n = 93); 2) moderate eating pathology and lower body appreciation (n = 186); 3) lowest eating pathology and highest body appreciation (n = 111), and 4) lower eating pathology and moderate body appreciation (n = 162). Class 1 exhibited greater eating pathology, greater positive and negative emotional eating, and lower body appreciation than all other classes (p < .001). Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to determine whether identity-specific factors increased the likelihood of class membership. Of those factors, sexual orientation, weight status, and disability status emerged as significant predictors of class membership. Participants with elevated weight status (e.g., overweight/obese) were more likely to belong to class 1 (highest eating pathology and lowest body appreciation) than any other class (p < .001).

Discussion: These findings underscore the importance of examining eating pathology and body image through an intersectional lens. Weight status appears to be associated with poorer outcomes, suggesting that experiences such as weight stigma should be considered in future research and clinical interventions.