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Perfection as acculturation: Psychological correlates of eating problems in Chinese male and female students living in the United States
Author(s) -
Davis Cindy,
Katzman Melanie A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199901)25:1<65::aid-eat8>3.0.co;2-w
Subject(s) - acculturation , perfection , psychology , developmental psychology , disordered eating , clinical psychology , social psychology , eating disorders , sociology , anthropology , ethnic group , theology , philosophy
Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between acculturation, self‐esteem, depression, and characteristics associated with eating disorders among Chinese university students in the United States. Method A self‐report questionnaire which included an acculturation scale (SL‐ASIA), Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression (CES‐D), Index of Self Esteem (ISE), and the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI) was administered to 197 Chinese university students in the United States (93 females and 104 males). Results Highly acculturated females reported significantly higher EDI total scores, more maturity fears, and a greater sense of ineffectiveness. Males who were less acculturated also reported high ineffectiveness while high male scores on acculturation were associated with greater perfectionism. Overall, females reported more body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness, and respondents with high acculturation reported more perfectionism and interoceptive awareness. Discussion The impact of perfecting onself or one's body as a means of acculturating is discussed along with potential gender differences in perceived efficacy in a new culture. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 25:65–70, 1999.