Introduction
Young adulthood is a critical developmental stage marked by increased concerns about body image and eating behaviors. Social appearance anxiety has been identified as a key risk factor influencing both disordered eating attitudes and psychological well-being. Interpersonal processes related to eating—such as perceived judgments, avoidance of evaluation, and social tensions—may play a crucial role in these relationships.
Purpose
This study examined whether eating-related interpersonal processes (food-related isolation, avoidance of body evaluation, and interpersonal tension) mediate the links between social appearance anxiety, disordered eating, and psychological distress in young adults
Method
A total of 690 participants aged 18 to 24 years (M = 20.58, SD = 1.70; 62.2% female) completed a socio-demographic form, the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, the Eating Attitudes Test, the Interpersonal Relationships in Eating Disorders Scale, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS 29 with Hayes' PROCESS macro (Model 4), controlling for age and gender.
Results
Findings from parallel mediation analyses indicated that in the relationship between social appearance anxiety and disordered eating attitudes, avoidance of body evaluation (Indirect effect = .11, 95% BootCI [.05, .17], standardized = .17), food-related interpersonal tension (Indirect effect = .04, 95% BootCI [.02, .07], standardized = .06), and food-related isolation (Indirect effect = .06, 95% BootCI [.02, .10], standardized = .08) were significant mediators. In the association between social appearance anxiety and psychological distress, only food-related interpersonal tension emerged as a significant mediator (Indirect effect = .07, 95% BootCI [.04, .10], standardized = .08).
Conclusion
These findings highlight the relevance of eating-related interpersonal processes in explaining the adverse outcomes of social appearance anxiety. Focusing on these interpersonal factors may improve our understanding of disordered eating and psychological distress in young adults and guide interventions targeting both eating behaviors and associated psychological problems.