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Fulltext A feeling difficult to identify: Alexithymia is inversely associated with positive body image in adults from the United Kingdom

Longhurst P, Swami V

J Affect Disord, 2023 Aug 01;334:121-128.
PMID: 37156268 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.142

BACKGROUND: Research has increasingly examined the ways in which internal bodily experiences influence body image, including the relationship between alexithymia - the reduced ability to identify and describe one's own emotional feelings and bodily sensations - and negative body image. However, relationships between facets of alexithymia and positive body image remain unexplored.
METHODS: To bridge this gap in the literature, we assessed relationships between facets of alexithymia and multiple, core indices of positive body image in an online sample of adults from the United Kingdom. A total of 395 participants (226 women, 169 men) aged 18 to 84 years completed measures of alexithymia, body appreciation, functionality appreciation, body image flexibility, body acceptance by others, and positive rational acceptance.
RESULTS: Once the effects of age had been accounted for, alexithymia was significantly and negatively associated with all five body image constructs in hierarchical multiple regressions. In the final models, the alexithymia facet of Difficulties Identifying Feeling emerged as a significant and negative predictor of all indices of positive body image.
LIMITATIONS: The use of cross-sectional data limits the causal conclusions that can be drawn.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend previous work by demonstrating the unique relationship between alexithymia and positive body image, providing important implications for body image research and practice.
"There's No Separating My View of My Body from My Autism": A qualitative study of positive body image in autistic individuals

Longhurst P, Aspell J, Todd J, Swami V

Body Image, 2024 Mar;48:101655.
PMID: 38042087 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101655

While scholars have investigated positive body image across diverse populations, extant theory largely excludes those with differing socio-cognitive experiences, such as autistic individuals. Using constructivist grounded theory, this study sought to develop a grounded theory of positive body image in autistic individuals. One-to-one interviews with photo-elicitation were conducted with 20 autistic adults (7 women, 8 men, 5 non-binary/agender; aged 18-53 years) from the United Kingdom. Through a process of open, axial, and focused coding, a grounded theory was developed around a core category of positive body image in autistic adults and was found to comprise six themes: body connection, body acceptance, appreciating body functionality and neurodivergent strengths, having a body-positive protective filter, taking care of the body, and body and appearance neutrality. Our findings suggest that some aspects of positive body image in autistic individuals are consistent with those found in neurotypical adults. However, positive body image in autistic individuals further encompasses both the sensory (i.e., how the body is felt) and aesthetic (i.e., how the body is seen) body. These findings may stimulate research aimed at improving positive body image in autistic populations.
Psychometric evaluation of a revised version of the body appreciation scale-2 for autistic adults (BAS-2A)

Longhurst P, Todd J, Aspell JE, Swami V

Body Image, 2024 Mar 28;49:101706.
PMID: 38552369 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101706

Emerging evidence points to unique conceptualisations of positive body image in autistic individuals. However, there are no existing measures of positive body image that have been developed or validated for use with autistic adults. To rectify this, we developed a revised version of the BAS-2 - the BAS-2A - and examined its factorial validity and psychometric properties in a sample of autistic adults from the United Kingdom. Based on the results of exploratory factor analysis and scale purification, we extracted a 12-item, unidimensional model of BAS-2A scores in a first split-subsample (n = 273). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the unidimensional model of BAS-2A scores in a second split-subsample (n = 277). BAS-2A scores presented adequate composite reliability, measurement invariance across gender identity, and patterns of construct validity. For both women and men, BAS-2A scores correlated positively with self-esteem, well-being, quality of life, and adaptive coping, and inversely with dietary restraint, weight/shape overvaluation, body dissatisfaction, and depression. Finally, BAS-2A scores demonstrated incremental validity, predicting self-esteem over-and-above body dissatisfaction. However, temporal stability of the BAS-2A over three weeks was not supported. These results support the BAS-2A as a psychometrically robust measure of body appreciation for use in autistic adults from the United Kingdom.
Body appreciation mediates the association between satisfaction with autistic identity and flourishing in autistic adults

Longhurst P, Aspell JE, Todd J, Swami V

Body Image, 2025 Mar 20;53:101876.
PMID: 40117789 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101876

Underpinned by the neurodiversity paradigm, scholars are increasingly interested in relationships between positive autistic identity (i.e., feeling satisfaction and pride with being autistic) and states of flourishing (i.e., where numerous aspects of a person's life and well-being are good) in autistic people. However, possible mediational pathways between these constructs remain relatively under-researched. Here, we propose a conceptual model wherein positive autistic identity is associated with flourishing in autistic adults via positive body image. To test this model, we recruited an online sample of 384 autistic adults (189 women, 195 men; M = 34.66 years, SD = 10.77) from the United Kingdom. Participants were asked to complete measures of satisfaction with autistic identity, body appreciation, and flourishing, and provide their demographic information. Structural equation modelling showed that body appreciation mediated the association between satisfaction with autistic identity and flourishing. The mediational triangle remained significantly robust after controlling for participant demographics. Future research should consider promoting positive autistic identity as a means of developing more positive body image and capacities to flourish in autistic adults.
Fulltext Is nature exposure in autistic adults associated with more positive body image?

Swami V, Voracek M, Furnham A, Horne G, Longhurst P, Tran US

Body Image, 2025 Mar;52:101854.
PMID: 39894002 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101854

A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to natural environments is associated with more positive body image, but such work has invariably centred the experiences of neurotypical adults and bodies. To rectify this oversight, we examined whether direct and indirect (i.e., mediational) pathways between nature exposure and an index of positive body image (i.e., body appreciation) are significant in autistic adults. A total of 303 autistic adults (age M = 36.69, range 18-75 years) from the United Kingdom completed an online survey that included measures of nature exposure, body appreciation, self-compassion, and nature connectedness, as well as sociodemographic variables. Structural equation modeling was used to test a hypothesised parallel mediation model in which self-compassion and connectedness to nature, respectively, mediated the association between nature exposure and body appreciation. Results showed that connectedness to nature, but not self-compassion, mediated the relationship between nature exposure and body appreciation. This finding was robust to sensitivity analyses and consistent across participants who identified as women and men. These results suggest that nature exposure is associated with more positive body image in autistic adults, which practitioners may find useful in designing population-specific nature-based interventions.