Disordered Eating in Undergraduates: Does Gender Role Orientation Influence Men and Women the Same Way?

Abstract

Previous studies have examined the influence of femininity on disordered eating behavior in female undergraduates, but few studies have examined the relation between gender roles and disordered eating in male undergraduates. The present study examined whether gender roles relate to disordered eating behaviors the same way in male and female undergraduates. 512 undergraduates (58% female) at a large university in the Pacific West region of the United States responded to a survey asking about eating behaviors and gender role orientation. Women displayed higher levels of disordered eating than did men. Undifferentiated and masculine women had higher levels of disordered eating than did androgynous women, whereas undifferentiated and feminine men had higher levels of disordered eating than did masculine and androgynous men.