TY - JOUR
T1 - Multiple mediation analyses on exercise addiction and muscularity-oriented eating in young adults
AU - Tsai, Jia Fong
AU - Rudeejaroonrung, Krit
AU - Chaimano, Siwahdol
AU - Efendi, Ferry
AU - Lin, Chung Ying
AU - Lee, Chih Ting
AU - Ng, Ai Kah
AU - Paratthakonkun, Chirawat
AU - Strong, Carol
AU - Tsai, Meng-Che
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
PY - 2026/1
Y1 - 2026/1
N2 - Disordered eating and exercise behaviors may co-occur with muscle dysmorphia. This study investigates potential psychological mediators (psychological distress, weight self-stigma, drive for muscularity, drive for leanness) of the relationships between muscle dysmorphia and exercise addiction and muscularity-oriented eating in young Taiwanese individuals. We also examined whether these mediating effects differed by sex and sexual orientation. A cross-sectional sample of 1500 young adults (Mage = 22.3 years, 38.3 % male) participated in an anonymous online survey. We performed mediation analyses using AMOS to investigate the indirect effects of potential psychological mediators and multi-group analyses to examine the variation between males and females and between heterosexual and non-heterosexual individuals. We found that weight self-stigma, drive for muscularity, and drive for leanness were significant mediators, and these effects were invariant across sex and sexual orientation. Psychological distress, weight self-stigma, drive for muscularity, and drive for leanness mediated the relationship between muscle dysmorphia and muscularity-oriented eating. Males were more likely to report muscularity-oriented eating influenced by weight self-stigma and drive for leanness, and drive for leanness was more likely to facilitate heterosexual participants toward muscularity-oriented eating than non-heterosexual subjects. Successful interventions for disordered eating and exercise require an understanding of the underlying psychological and behavioral drivers.
AB - Disordered eating and exercise behaviors may co-occur with muscle dysmorphia. This study investigates potential psychological mediators (psychological distress, weight self-stigma, drive for muscularity, drive for leanness) of the relationships between muscle dysmorphia and exercise addiction and muscularity-oriented eating in young Taiwanese individuals. We also examined whether these mediating effects differed by sex and sexual orientation. A cross-sectional sample of 1500 young adults (Mage = 22.3 years, 38.3 % male) participated in an anonymous online survey. We performed mediation analyses using AMOS to investigate the indirect effects of potential psychological mediators and multi-group analyses to examine the variation between males and females and between heterosexual and non-heterosexual individuals. We found that weight self-stigma, drive for muscularity, and drive for leanness were significant mediators, and these effects were invariant across sex and sexual orientation. Psychological distress, weight self-stigma, drive for muscularity, and drive for leanness mediated the relationship between muscle dysmorphia and muscularity-oriented eating. Males were more likely to report muscularity-oriented eating influenced by weight self-stigma and drive for leanness, and drive for leanness was more likely to facilitate heterosexual participants toward muscularity-oriented eating than non-heterosexual subjects. Successful interventions for disordered eating and exercise require an understanding of the underlying psychological and behavioral drivers.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105019959222
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105019959222#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.10.026
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.10.026
M3 - Article
C2 - 41130169
AN - SCOPUS:105019959222
SN - 0022-3956
VL - 192
SP - 10
EP - 19
JO - Journal of Psychiatric Research
JF - Journal of Psychiatric Research
ER -