Abstract
Previous studies have identified popularity as a risk factor for adolescents’ body image concerns and disordered eating behaviors, yet little is known about how adolescents’ insecure feelings about their popularity status may be associated with these outcomes. To address this gap, this study examined whether popularity status insecurity was linked to weight-related cognitions and behaviors one year later and whether these links were mediated by body dissatisfaction and moderated by popularity status. A total of 233 Chinese 10th and 11th grade adolescents (41% girls; Mage = 15.81 years, SD = 0.68) participated in the study. The results showed that adolescents’ popularity status insecurity was positively and indirectly related to greater future drive for thinness and restrained eating through the mediation of dissatisfied feelings about their own body shape only among those with average and low popularity, and these indirect effects were strengthened as adolescents’ popularity decreased. Implications for prevention and intervention of eating disturbances for adolescents are discussed.
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The authors are grateful for the adolescents who participated in this research and the school and research assistants who facilitated the data collection.
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M.L. conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, performed the statistical analysis, interpreted the data and results, and drafted the manuscript; Y.L. conceived of the study, participated in its design, and helped interpret the data and edit the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Li, M., Li, Y. Popularity Status Insecurity as a Risk Factor for Adolescents’ Maladaptive Weight-Related Cognitions and Behaviors: Examining a Moderated Mediation Model. J Youth Adolescence 52, 1500–1511 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01756-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01756-z