Media Internalization and Social Comparison as Predictors of Eating Pathology among Latino Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of Gender and Generational Status

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-8-2010

Publication Title

Sex Roles

Volume

63

Issue

2019-09-10

First page number:

712

Last page number:

724

Abstract

Using a sociocultural framework, this cross-sectional study examined eating pathology among 235 Latino adolescents from the Southwestern U.S. who differed in generational status. Participants completed self-report measures of media pressures, internalization, social comparison, and eating pathology. Overall, results revealed stronger relationships between these sociocultural variables and eating pathology for girls. Girls reported greater social comparison, thin-ideal pressure and internalization, and eating pathology than boys. Generational status was positively correlated with these sociocultural variables and eating pathology for girls only. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses indicated that athletic-ideal internalization was a key predictor of eating pathology for girls but not boys. Discussion highlights gender, more than generational status, as critical to a sociocultural framework for eating pathology among adolescent Latino Americans.

Keywords

Latino adolescents; Eating pathology' Gender differences; Generational status; Media internalization

Disciplines

Social Psychology

Language

English

UNLV article access

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