Can self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and internalization of the thinness ideal influence risk behaviors for eating disorders?

OBJETIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and internalization of the thin ideal on disordered eating female adolescents. METHODS: Four hundred and seventy one adolescents participated in this research. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Body Shape Questionnaire, and the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 were used to assess self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and internalization of the thin ideal, respectively. The Eating Attitudes Test subscales were used to evaluate eating disorder risk behavior. RESULTS: The results indicated influence of the Body Shape Questionnaire (p<0.05) and Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 scores (p<0.05) on all subscales of the Eating Attitudes Test. In contrast, the findings did not show any significant influence of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale on the Eating Attitudes Test subscales scores (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that body dissatisfaction and internalization of the thin ideal influence eating disorder risk behavior in female adolescents; the same behavior was not observed for self-esteem.