Faculty Diversity Research and Curriculum Development and LGBTQ+ Research Initiative Grant Lecture
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
1-2:15 p.m.
Guthart Cultural Center Theater
Advance registration required; RSVP at events.hofstra.edu or email provostevents@hofstra.edu.
The Faculty Diversity Research and Curriculum Development Grants are awarded in support of research or curricular innovation regarding diversity. These grants are designed to encourage research and curriculum development on issues of diversity by faculty in any discipline. The LGBTQ+ Research Initiative Grants are awarded to faculty engaged in research or creative work on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex people and allies on Hofstra’s campus and/or in the suburbs. These grants are co-sponsored by the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.
2023-24 Faculty Diversity Research and Development Grant Abstract
Body Image and Disordered Eating in Asian Adults
Mun Yee Kwan, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Eating disorders has historically been viewed as a Western culture-bound syndrome occurring among young White women with upper socioeconomic status. This perception has been challenged, as research shows that men and ethnic minority women are affected by eating disorder as well. For example, up to 25% of cases presenting in eating disorder clinics are male patients (Gorrell & Murray, 2019). Similar prevalence rates of eating disorders have been reported across ethnic groups (non-Latino White, Latino, Asian, and African American individuals), and rates of subclinical eating disorders were observed to be higher in ethnic minority groups than in non-Latino White group. In light of these finding, it is particularly important to understand the factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of disordered eating among men and ethnic minority women. One of the risk factors of disordered eating is body dissatisfaction, which refers to the negative attitudes (e.g., thoughts, feelings) towards one’s body and physical appearance, usually resulting from the discrepancy between one’s current body shape and weight and the ideal body shape and weight (Grogan, 2017). Research on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating among ethnic minority women suggest the presence of different body ideals in different ethnic groups (Gordon et al., 2010). The cultural body ideals for women tend to be slimmer in White than in Black and Hispanic cultures. However, limited studies have looked into the body image and body ideals specific to Asian cultures and to men. The goals of the current study were to investigate 1) body ideals in Asians, and 2) the risk factors of eating-related pathology in Asians, using a prospective (4-6 weeks apart) online survey research design. This presentation will highlight the various perceived body ideals in Asian men and women and the risk factors of eating-related pathology based on the interpersonal model of disordered eating. Implications from these findings, including potential prevention and intervention strategies, will be discussed.