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Eating Disorders

Acculturative Stress and Ethnic Identity Impacts on Eating Pathology and Body Dissatisfaction in Asian-American Women

(PS8-A3) Acculturative Stress and Ethnic Identity Impacts on Eating Pathology and Body Dissatisfaction in Asian-american Women

Saturday, November 19, 2022

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Location: Westside Ballroom, 5th Floor

Author(s)

KV

Kaitlin Viloria, B.S.

Doctoral Student
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Co-Author(s)

GP

Genevieve Pacious, B.A.

Student
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia
HD

Hannah S. Daniel, N/A, M.A., M.S.

Doctoral Student
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Anderson B. Rowan, Ph.D.

Special Adjunct Instructor
Regent University
Brandon, Mississippi

Asian-Americans are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, yet this population is less studied in the mental health literature compared to other ethnic groups, especially as it pertains to eating pathology and body dissatisfaction. Simply identifying as Asian-American comes with unique underlying factors that may affect this population’s presentation of eating pathology and body dissatisfaction, two of which are acculturative stress and ethnic identity. This study seeks to examine existing research on the relationship and impact of acculturative stress and ethnic identity on eating pathology and body dissatisfaction in Asian-American women. A literature review was conducted using APA PsycINFO and EBSCO Summons. Keywords “Asian American”, “acculturation, “cultural assimilation, “cultural adoption”, “eating disorders”, “anorexia”, “bulimia”, “disordered eating”, “body image”, “body dissatisfaction”, “body image disturbance”, “second generation immigrants”, “children of immigrants”, “immigra*”, and “women” were used, yielding 447 articles, 10 of which were relevant for full review. Findings across these studies demonstrated that, overall, greater Asian ethnic identity was associated with higher levels of eating pathology (2 quantitative, 1 qualitative) and body dissatisfaction (2 quantitative, 1 qualitative). Greater levels of acculturative stress were generally associated with higher levels of eating pathology (4 quantitative); however, some of the literature suggested a lack of significant association (2 quantitative), or that acculturative stress was a mediator between eating pathology and body dissatisfaction (1 quantitative). Results were mixed regarding the relationship between acculturative stress and body dissatisfaction. Some studies demonstrated that greater acculturative stress was associated with higher levels of body dissatisfaction (2 quantitative), while one study found no significant association (1 quantitative). Another pattern observed among the literature demonstrated that second-generation immigrants experience greater acculturative stress, resulting in an increased risk of eating pathology (2 quantitative) and body dissatisfaction (1 quantitative). Although further research is needed, these results contribute to the growing literature on eating disorders among Asian-American women by bringing to the forefront acculturative stress and ethnic identity, which may be important factors that influence the treatment of this population.