Abstract

MAGALLARES, Alejandro. Social risk factors related to eating disorders in women. rev.latinoam.psicol. [online]. 2013, vol.45, n.1, pp.147-154. ISSN 0120-0534.

Eating disorders prevalence's rates are increasing in Western countries and there is evidence to suggest that young women are at the highest risk of developing this kind of disorders. That is the reason why prevention and intervention programs are so important. To develop these types of programs it is necessary to identify relevant risk factors contributing to this disorder. In the current research social risk variables to develop eating disorders (social comparisons, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance and social anxiety) have been measured in a 375 women non clinical sample. Results have shown that social comparisons are direct and indirect (trough social anxiety) positively related with the risk to develop eating disorders and that sociocultural attitudes toward appearance are just indirect (trough social anxiety) and positively related to eating disorders. Finally, the importance of including these social variables in prevention and intervention programs is discussed.

Keywords : eating disorders; social comparisons; sociocultural attitudes toward appearance; social anxiety.

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