Is high self-esteem necessary to prevent eating problems?
The association between self-esteem and eating behavior, subdivided into sex
Keywords: low self-esteem, high self-esteem, eating behavior, eating
problems, sex differences, RSE, NVE
, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML)
Bachelor Health Sciences – Block code GGZ2023
Author: L.B.A. Eichhorst
Student number: i6158979
PBL-number: 4
Word count: 3375
Date of submission: 4th February 2019
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between the degree of self-esteem and eating behavior
and has taken sex differences into account. The first hypothesis is that there is a negative
association between self-esteem and eating behavior. The other hypothesis is that this
association is stronger for women than for men. A number of 110 students in the second year
of the Health Sciences course at Maastricht University participated in this research. All
participants have completed the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSE) and the Dutch
Questionnaire for Eating Behavior (NVE). The results show that there is a negative
correlation between self-esteem and eating behavior, and this correlation is stronger for
women than for men. However, no current sex differences were found with respect to these
variables. Although there were a number of implications, such as the chosen research design,
2
, the disproportionate division of sex, and certain aspects of the measuring scales, this research
contributed to the existing knowledge regarding self-esteem and eating behavior.
Index
Introduction 4
Method 7
Participants and Design 7
Measurement instruments 8
Self-esteem 8
Eating behavior 9
Sex 10
Procedure 10
3
The association between self-esteem and eating behavior, subdivided into sex
Keywords: low self-esteem, high self-esteem, eating behavior, eating
problems, sex differences, RSE, NVE
, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML)
Bachelor Health Sciences – Block code GGZ2023
Author: L.B.A. Eichhorst
Student number: i6158979
PBL-number: 4
Word count: 3375
Date of submission: 4th February 2019
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between the degree of self-esteem and eating behavior
and has taken sex differences into account. The first hypothesis is that there is a negative
association between self-esteem and eating behavior. The other hypothesis is that this
association is stronger for women than for men. A number of 110 students in the second year
of the Health Sciences course at Maastricht University participated in this research. All
participants have completed the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSE) and the Dutch
Questionnaire for Eating Behavior (NVE). The results show that there is a negative
correlation between self-esteem and eating behavior, and this correlation is stronger for
women than for men. However, no current sex differences were found with respect to these
variables. Although there were a number of implications, such as the chosen research design,
2
, the disproportionate division of sex, and certain aspects of the measuring scales, this research
contributed to the existing knowledge regarding self-esteem and eating behavior.
Index
Introduction 4
Method 7
Participants and Design 7
Measurement instruments 8
Self-esteem 8
Eating behavior 9
Sex 10
Procedure 10
3
