Disordered Eating Differences Among Male And Female Sorority And Fraternity Members

Author

Sky Gabel

Date of Award

January 2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Richard Ferraro

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into factors that may affect the rates of disordered eating in undergraduates and to expand the limited research in the area of fraternity/sorority life (FSL) membership and gender. These areas were compared using rates of disordered eating symptoms, anxiety levels, perfectionism, and body image differences, gathered from approximately 451 undergraduates using the EDE-Q, STAI, PSPS, and OBCS and demographic questionnaires. A two-way ANOVA was used to analyze effects of gender and FSL membership on EDE-Q scores. A linear regression was used to investigate associations between PSPS, OBCS, and STAIT scores and EDE-Q scores. It was hypothesized from previous research, that women and sorority/fraternity members would have the highest rates of disordered eating symptoms, as evidenced by higher EDE-Q scores, within each group. The scores of the STAIT, PSPS, and OBCS were compared to ED rates among these dichotomous groups in order to gain more insight into the results. Through analysis, a significant main effect of gender on disordered eating was found. However, no significant effects from FSL on disordered eating were found. Further, there was no significant interaction effect. Regarding the STAIT, PSPS, and OBCS, only the Body Shame and Body Surveillance subscales of the OBCS were found to be significantly correlated with EDE-Q scores. Surprisingly, trait anxiety and different areas of perfectionism were not found to be significantly correlated with EDE-Q scores.

Recommended Citation

Gabel, Sky, "Disordered Eating Differences Among Male And Female Sorority And Fraternity Members" (2023). Theses and Dissertations. 5295.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/5295