(PS7-A8) Does the Relationship Between BMI and Weight Related Abuse Differ by Racial Identity?

Research has established that heightened body mass index (BMI) is a significant predictor for experiencing weight-related abuse (WRA). However, research on the intersection of BMI and racial identity as a predictor of experiencing WRA is limited. As racial identity has associations to peripheral weight-related constructs such as appearance ideals and food availability, it is plausible that individuals with different racial identities may be at differential risk for experiencing WRA, particularly considering worsened disordered eating and social inequities during the COVID-19 era. Therefore, this study explicitly examined whether the intersection of BMI and racial identity uniquely predicted WRA more than BMI alone. 1124 undergraduate students (18-30y; Female = 80.1%; White = 66,5%, Black = 17.7%, Asian = 15.8%) completed a measure of WRA (Weight-Related Abuse Questionnaire; WRAQ) in January 2020-February 2022 as part of a multi-site survey across two Northeastern universities. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare the predictive accuracy between a model incorporating BMI as a sole predictor of the likelihood of experiencing verbal WRA (i.e., teasing or criticism based on weight) and a model including an interaction effect between BMI and racial identity. The relationship between BMI and verbal WRA experiences significantly varied by racial identity. The odds of experiencing verbal WRA for each one-unit increase in BMI was significantly less for Black undergraduates than White undergraduates (OR_BMI*Black = .89, p < .001). Additionally, the odds of experiencing verbal WRA for each one-unit increase in BMI did not significantly differ between Asian undergraduates and White undergraduates (OR_BMI*Asian = .95, p = .32). The model predicting the likelihood of experiencing verbal WRA with BMI and racial identity as an interaction term had significantly better fit (AIC = 1319.9) than the model including BMI as the sole predictor of verbal WRA (AIC = 1515.9). Results suggest that the intersection of BMI and racial identity is a better predictor for assessing WRA risk than BMI alone. Specifically, for White and Asian undergraduates, but not Black undergraduates, the incidence of WRA increased as a function of higher BMI. The differential risk for experiencing WRA for individuals with these racial identities may be accounted for by differing cultural norms around weight status and idealized body types. Future research should therefore explore cultural norms and internalization of idealized body types as potential mechanisms underlying these associations.