GGZ2023 Eindverslag - Onderzoek in de Psychopathologie

Research into Psychopathology

The relationship between body image and restrained eating

behaviour, and the influence of gender.




Sanne van der Werff

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Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML)

Bachelor Health Sciences, course Mental Health

Maastricht University

Date: 04-02-2019




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,Table of Contents

Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 4

Methods ................................................................................................................................................... 7

Study population .................................................................................................................................. 7

Measurements...................................................................................................................................... 7

Procedure ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Statistical analysis ............................................................................................................................... 8

Results ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

Study- and participants characterisations........................................................................................... 9

Correlation between body image (operationalized as body appreciation) and restrained eating

behaviour ........................................................................................................................................... 10

Influence of gender ............................................................................................................................ 11

Discussion ............................................................................................................................................. 11

References ............................................................................................................................................. 16




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, Abstract

Purpose: The main focus of this quantitative cross-sectional study is the relationship between

body image and restrained eating behaviour. And examine whether gender has an influence on

this relationship.

Methods: The study population included 110 second year Mental Health students from

Maastricht University (N=110; 14 men, 96 women). Body appreciation and its relationship with

restrained eating behaviour were assessed. Descriptive analysis and correlations were examined

with IBM SPSS Statistics 25.

Results: There was a slight significant negative relation between body appreciation and

restrained eating behaviour (r(110) = -0.38, p < 0.001). When controlling for gender, there was

also a significant negative relation between body appreciation and restrained eating behaviour

(r(110) = -0.36, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: This data implies that a low body image is associated with high amount of

restrained eating behaviour, and vice versa. The partial correlation was not much different from

the bivariate correlation. So, it could be said that gender is not expected to affect the relationship

between body image and restrained eating behaviour. Due to restrictions of this study

population and design, more research need to be done.




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