Body image among U.S. Latina youth: A scoping review of risk and protective factors relevant to eating pathology.

Body dissatisfaction is a well-established risk factor for disordered eating and eating disorders, yet the sociocultural factors shaping body image among Latina youth remain insufficiently integrated. This scoping review synthesizes psychosocial risk and protective factors contributing to body image concerns among U.S. Latina youth (≤24 years), with the aim of clarifying culturally specific factors associated with body image and relevant to eating pathology risk. A comprehensive search through April 2026 identified 27 peer-reviewed studies meeting inclusion criteria. Studies were analyzed for risk and protective factors, theoretical frameworks, and methodological trends. Risk and protective factors were identified through a structured coding process in which reviewers extracted study-level risk and protective factors and body image outcomes, with discrepancies resolved through team discussion. Key risk factors included appearance-related criticism from multiple family members, higher BMI, acculturative stress, and perceived sociocultural and media pressures, with emerging evidence highlighting structural factors such as colorism. Protective factors such as strong ethnic-racial identity and culturally congruent body ideals were associated with more favorable body image outcomes. Evidence also suggests that Latina youth may navigate competing appearance ideals, highlighting the need for frameworks that extend beyond a single appearance ideal. Although sociocultural models predominated, nearly one-third of studies lacked explicit theoretical grounding. We synthesize these findings into an ecological-intersectional framework of Latina Appearance and Body Image (LAB), developed inductively following completion of the review. The framework organizes culturally specific factors relevant to eating pathology risk, emphasizing the interplay of sociocultural pressures, cultural identity and acculturation, family dynamics, peer influences, and individual-level factors within broader structural contexts. Clinically, these findings highlight opportunities to reduce eating pathology risk by improving body image and leveraging culturally grounded protective assets while addressing Eurocentric beauty norms and colorism. Future research should prioritize longitudinal designs, diverse Latina subgroups (e.g., Afro-Latinas), multiple body ideals beyond the thin ideal, and the influence of digital media environments.