- Thin-ideal internalisation chain mediates body image and eating disorder risk, linking body image through perceived body fat and depression to disordered eating.
- Muscular-ideal internalisation independently mediates the association between body image and increased engagement in physical activity.
- Different ideal internalisations create risk-oriented and adaptation-oriented behavioural pathways, offering targets for tailored prevention and health promotion interventions.
Front Psychol. 2026 Sep 16;17:1823005. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1823005. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To construct and test a dual-pathway differentiation model exploring associations of body image with eating disorders and physical activity among female college students, examining the differential mediating roles of thin-ideal internalization and muscular-ideal internalization.
METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 4,172 female college students across six universities in mainland China via online questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine patterns of association among body image, thin-ideal internalization, muscular-ideal internalization, depression, perceived body fat, eating disorders, and physical activity. The bias-corrected Bootstrap method (5,000 resamples) was used to test mediating effects.
RESULTS: The structural equation model showed a good fit (RMSEA = 0.044). All mediating and direct pathways in the model reached statistical significance. Thin-ideal internalization played a chain-mediating role between body image and eating disorders, while muscular-ideal internalization independently mediated the association between body image and physical activity.
CONCLUSIONS: Body image can differentiate into risk-oriented and adaptation-oriented behavioral pathways through different types of ideal internalization. Body image was associated with eating disorder risk, whereas muscular-ideal internalization was associated with engagement in physical activity. These findings indicate that the type of body ideal internalization functions as a core mechanism of behavioral differentiation, providing a theoretical basis and potential intervention targets for eating disorder prevention and health behavior promotion.
PMID:42818725 | PMC:PMC13623850 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1823005
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