Eat Behav. 2025 Sep 11;59:102031. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2025.102031. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to compare eating pathology between heterosexual and sexual minority (SM) undergraduate women and explore the relation between eating pathology and minority stress in SM undergraduate women. Undergraduate women at a Southeastern university (N = 547; 38 % SM, 62 % heterosexual) completed a one-time online survey (2023-2024) measuring eating pathology, internalized stigma, and stigma concealment. We analyzed descriptive statistics and Analyses of Covariance (ANCOVAS). SM undergraduate women reported more body dissatisfaction and shape/weight overvaluation (p < .001) and no difference in dietary restraint (p = .78) compared with their heterosexual counterparts. For SM undergraduate women, dietary restraint was linked to stigma concealment (p < .05). These findings suggest that although SM undergraduate women experience unique stressors related to eating pathology, they are at similar risk of restrictive eating pathology to heterosexual undergraduate women. In addition to typical university life stressors, providers should be aware of the potential impact of stigma on SM female students’ eating behaviors/cognitions.
PMID:40992020 | DOI:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2025.102031
