Muscularity-oriented attitudes and behaviors among college-aged women: The role of sexual orientation

While sexual minority (SM) status has been associated with poorer body image and greater eating pathology among men, findings are inconsistent among women. The lack of focus on muscularity-oriented attitudes and behaviors among SM women may contribute to these mixed findings; thus, we examined these constructs within a large sample of SM and heterosexual women. Our sample included 1511 cisgender women (n= 1213 heterosexual, n= 298 SM). Measurement invariance for the Muscularity-Oriented Eating Test (MOET) was assessed using alignment optimization prior to latent mean comparison. Differences in muscle dissatisfaction and APED misuse were assessed using appropriate generalized linear models. SM women exhibited significantly greater muscle dissatisfaction and muscularity-oriented eating pathology than heterosexual women. No significant differences in APED misuse were found. The present study is novel in its assessment of sexual orientation differences in muscularity-oriented eating pathology, APED misuse, and muscle dissatisfaction in women. By separately analyzing attitudinal and behavioral components of drive for muscularity in SM women vs. heterosexual women, we aim to aid in the understanding of levels of muscularity-oriented body image and eating pathology within these groups and highlight the importance of incorporating diverse measures of body-related attitudes and behaviors beyond those focusing on thinness.