Authors: Kate Binford, Marissa Roper, Brynn Eyre
Mentors: Sarah Coyne
Insitution: Brigham Young University
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between personal feelings about modesty and the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) among Latter-day Saint (LDS) men and women. Participants were recruited through social media and announcements on LDS-specific social media pages. The study has a final sample of n=1,271, 431 of which (33%) had an ED. There is a significant positive correlation between feelings of shame about modesty and the prevalence of EDs (r=0.11, p<.001). This means that, in general, more feelings of shame about modesty are related to a higher prevalence of EDs. Implications of these findings indicate that it may be helpful to reduce any shame-based teachings around modesty in order to protect against EDs.