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. 2022 Apr 21:3:877554.
doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2022.877554. eCollection 2022.

Examining the Conceptual and Measurement Overlap of Body Dissatisfaction and Internalized Weight Stigma in Predominantly Female Samples: A Meta-Analysis and Measurement Refinement Study

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Examining the Conceptual and Measurement Overlap of Body Dissatisfaction and Internalized Weight Stigma in Predominantly Female Samples: A Meta-Analysis and Measurement Refinement Study

Jessica F Saunders et al. Front Glob Womens Health. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Both body dissatisfaction and internalized weight stigma have been identified as risk factors for many negative health outcomes for women, including depression and eating disorders. In addition to these contributions, these concepts have been found to overlap to various degrees in existing literature. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on articles published prior to February 2022 to demonstrate the conceptual and measurement overlap between body dissatisfaction and internalized weight stigma as currently quantified. We identified 48 studies examining the interrelation between body dissatisfaction and internalized weight stigma in predominantly female samples. Stronger correlations between these two constructs, some bordering on multicollinearity, were prevalent in community samples compared to clinical samples and with some but not all the commonly used measures in the body image and weight stigma fields. Body mass index (BMI) moderated these relations such that individuals with higher self-reported BMI were more likely to report lower correlations between the constructs. This concept proliferation, stronger for individuals with lower BMIs and community samples, necessitates the need change how we conceptualize and measure body dissatisfaction and internalized weight stigma. To this end, we conducted study two to refine existing measures and lessen the degree of measurement overlap between internalized weight stigma and body dissatisfaction, particularly in community samples of women. We aimed to clarify the boundaries between these two concepts, ensuring measurement error is better accounted for. Female university students completed existing measures of body satisfaction and internalized weight stigma, which were analyzed using an exploratory followed by a confirmatory factor analysis. In our attempts to modify two existing measures of internalized weight stigma and body dissatisfaction, the majority of the internalized weight stigma items were retained. In contrast, most of the body dissatisfaction items either cross-loaded onto both factors or loaded on to the internalized weight stigma factor despite being intended for the body dissatisfaction factor, suggesting that the measurement issues identified in recent prior research may be due not only to the way we conceptualize and quantify weight stigma, but also the ways in which we quantify body dissatisfaction, across the existing corpus of body dissatisfaction scales.

Keywords: body dissatisfaction; concept proliferation; internalized weight bias; internalized weight stigma; measurement.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA diagram results from database searches through meta-analysis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot by sub-group (clinical vs. community) demonstrating stronger correlation in community vs. clinical group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Moderation by BMI, indicating a stronger relation between body dissatisfaction and internalized weight stigma for those of lower weight.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Funnel plot assessing publication bias using Egger's test.

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