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UNLABELLED: Body Experience and Eating Disorder Psychopathology: The Role of Personality Functioning in a Representative Population Sample

Objective

The association between body experience and eating psychopathology is well established. However, research examining personality functioning (PF), defined as an impairment in self and interpersonal functioning, as an additional risk factor in this interplay is lacking.

METHODS

In a representative sample (N = 2.510), body experience, eating disorder symptoms and PF were assessed using questionnaires. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted controlling for age, gender, distress and BMI in order to investigate the moderating effects of PF on the relationship between body experience and eating psychopathology.

RESULTS

Results show that eating psychopathology is significantly related to both body experience and impaired personality functioning. As a moderating effect, it was found that people with severe impairments in PF and lower scores on the attractiveness/self-confidence subscale of body experience were particularly likely to report eating disorder symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the importance of body experience and personality functioning in the prevalence and severity of eating disorder psychopathology. These aspects should be considered in the prevention and diagnosis of eating disorders.