Emilio J. Compte

Background: Muscularity-oriented disordered eating (MODE) refers to eating behaviors that focus on muscularity rather than thinness. To assess this construct, the Muscularity-Oriented Eating Test (MOET) was developed and validated in several languages. This study aimed to translate and validate a German version of the MOET and to examine its factor structure and psychometric properties in physically active men and women. Methods: A total of 5,991 participants (5,556 women, 435 men) were recruited via Instagram followers of German-speaking fitness influencers. Demographic, exercise, and questionnaire data were collected. Factor structure was examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Measurement invariance across gender, internal consistency, and convergent validity with related constructs were also assessed. Results: Among the previously proposed models, the original 15-item one-factor model showed acceptable fit in women but not in men, whereas the 12-item one-factor model showed acceptable fit in both gender groups. Allowing correlated residuals between theoretically related items further improved fit for these models. Exploratory analyses identified alternative solutions, including a 6-item one-factor model with good fit in both men and women. This model also demonstrated partial measurement invariance across gender. Across model versions, internal consistency was acceptable to good, and MOET scores showed positive associations with thinness-oriented eating pathology and muscle dysmorphia symptoms. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the German MOET is a useful instrument for assessing MODE. At the same time, the highly fitness-oriented composition of our sample may have contributed to the differences between our findings and those of previous validation studies. Further research in other populations, including clinical samples, is needed to further validate the assessment of MODE.

Objective: To examine how eating‐disorder symptoms vary by chronological age and sexual orientation in sexual minority adults. Method: Cross‐sectional data came from 2062 cisgender sexual minority participants (925 gay men, 573 lesbian women, 116 bi+ men, 448 bi+ women; age = 47.8 years, range = 18–96). Eight subscales from the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory were examined. A multivariate multivariable general linear model tested main and interaction effects of age and sexual orientation; significant multivariate multivariable findings were probed with false‐discovery‐rate‐adjusted univariate regressions. Results: Older age was associated with lower body dissatisfaction, binge eating, and muscle‐building behaviours, but higher cognitive restraint and negative attitudes toward obesity. Age‐by‐group interactions indicated that body dissatisfaction and binge eating were higher among older cisgender bi+ women, whereas muscularity‐oriented behaviours were lower in lesbian and bi+ women compared to gay men. Associations remained after socioeconomic covariate adjustment. Conclusions: Findings suggested that levels of eating pathology varied based on age and across sexual minority groups. Bi+ women showed increasing body dissatisfaction and binge eating with age, while lesbian and bi+ women reported lower muscularity‐oriented behaviours relative to gay men. Life‐course prevention and treatment strategies should address identity‐specific stress ecologies and the needs of adult sexual minority populations.

This study examined the construct validity of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised-18 (TFEQ-R18), an eating behavior instrument designed to measure Uncontrolled Eating, Emotional Eating, and Cognitive Restraint, in a sample of Black and Black multi-ethnic Caribbean female university students. Four hundred thirty-five female participants aged 18–59 consented to complete self-administered questionnaires, including TFEQ-R18, sociocultural, body image, height, and weight (BMI). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFAs/CFAs) were used to examine the TFEQ-R18 structure. EFA indicated that a 13-item version is psychometrically sound, where the three-factor solution accounted for 57.37% of the variance observed. A CFA of the retained model in the second split-half sample ( n = 218) resulted in a good fit (χ ² / df = 2.10, CFI = .92, TLI = .91, RMSEA = .07 [95 % CI = .06, .09], SRMR = .08) and was found to be invariant across ethnic groups. Internal consistency coefficients ranged between .72 and .83 in both randomly generated subsamples, and convergent validity was supported. An abbreviated TFEQ (13-items) is a psychometrically valid measure to evaluate eating behaviors among this sample.

We examined associations between potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and lifetime eating disorders (EDs) in the Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative-Mexico [EDGI-MX; N = 298; 174 cases, 124 controls, ages 13-78 years (M = 28.9 SD = 11.3), 81% cisgender women]. ED diagnoses and symptoms were from an online questionnaire capturing DSM-5 diagnoses via algorithm; PTEs were assessed with the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5; and depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms with validated self-report measures. Logistic regressions and analyses of covariance were adjusted for age and gender. PTEs were reported by 75% of cases and 53% of controls (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.04, 6.62), including fire/explosions (13.6; 1.30, 141.76), transportation accident (2.1; 1.13, 4.06), serious accidents (10.0; 2.03, 49.64), sexual assault (5.9; 2.57, 13.91), other uncomfortable sexual experiences (3.2; 1.68, 6.41), and other stressful event (4.3; 1.95, 9.76). Although PTEs were not significantly associated with greater depression, anxiety, or OC symptoms in cases, these co-occurring symptoms may still be relevant clinically. Results highlight the importance of assessing PTEs in Mexican individuals with EDs and encourage exploration of timing of PTE exposure to clarify their role in ED development and course.

Purpose: This study examined how eating disorder symptoms, assessed by the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory (EPSI), vary across chronological age in a large national (USA) sample of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adults. Method: Participants were 2098 TGD adults—including transgender men (n = 599), transgender women (n = 293), and gender-diverse individuals (n = 1,206, including nonbinary and those who identified with “another gender identity”)—enrolled in The PRIDE Study. A multivariate general linear model tested the effects of chronological age, gender group (with gender-diverse as the reference), and their interaction on the eight EPSI scales. Results: Multivariate analyses showed significant main effects of age (V = .045, p < .001) and gender group (V = .098, p < .001), but no significant age-by-group interaction. Older age was associated with greater Cognitive Restraint (β = .22, p < .001), Negative Attitudes toward Obesity (β = .22, p < .001), and Excessive Exercise (β = .12, p = .001). Compared to gender-diverse individuals, transgender men exhibited higher Muscle Building, Cognitive Restraint, and Excessive Exercise scores, whereas transgender women reported higher Binge Eating, Purging, Cognitive Restraint, and Negative Attitudes toward Obesity, but lower Muscle Building. A single significant interaction indicated that transgender women showed stronger age-related differences in Purging. Conclusions: These findings contribute to growing evidence that disordered eating symptoms may not simply resolve with age among TGD individuals and necessitate lifespan-sensitive approaches to eating disorder care. These patterns likely capture a mix of aging processes and cohort-specific exposures to weight-normative and cis-normative ideals. Level of evidence Level V: based on descriptive studies.