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Body shape concerns and behavioral intentions on eating disorders: a cross-sectional study of Chinese female university students using an extended theory of reasoned action model

Zhao J 1 , Zhao J 2 , Yuan H 3 , Gao Z 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Physical Education Department, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing, China
  • 2 College of Educational Science, Guangdong Preschool Normal College in Maoming, Maoming, China
  • 3 Department of Physical Education, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
  • 4 Department of Physical Education, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, China
Front Nutr, 2024;11:1501536.
PMID: 39777071 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1501536

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Weight and body shape concerns have become increasingly common among adolescents. Chinese university students show a high risk of eating disorder behaviors. This study aims to analyze the moderating effect of BMI on the relationships between body shape, attitudes, subjective norms, and eating disorder behavioral intentions among Chinese female university students using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) model.

METHODS: A stratified random sample of 679 female Chinese university students (age, mean ± SD = 19.792 ± 1.007) participated in the study. The surveys comprised the Theory of Reasoned Action Questionnaire (TRA-Q) and the Body Shape Questionnaire (BS-Q) to assess their body shape concerns and behavioral intentions regarding eating disorders. Structural equation modeling was used to test the extended TRA model, with body shape as an additional predictor and BMI as a moderator.

RESULTS: Body shape positively affected attitudes (β = 0.444, p 

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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