Anonymous Online Survey on Disordered Eating, Drive for Muscularity, Sexual Orientation, and Satisfaction with Life in Young Swedish Males

Psychiatric conditions in general, including eating disorders, are stigmatizing conditions. The stigma of eating disorders is even more pronounced among males. We conducted an anonymous, online survey to explore the feasibility of recruiting participants for collecting sensitive information, and the relation among eating disorders, drive for muscularity, satisfaction with life, and sexual preference in males (N = 824) aged 15-30 years in Sweden. Internet survey method was a feasible way of recruiting males and obtaining sensitive information. Drive for muscularity was positively related to eating psychopathology. Interestingly, only the attitudinal aspect of the drive for muscularity was negatively related to satisfaction with life, whereas the behavioral component of the drive for muscularity was unrelated to quality of life. Drive for muscularity and disordered eating were not significantly different across participants with various sexual orientations. Our findings corroborate and extend previous research by using an anonymous Internet-based survey that may be less contaminated by social desirability or reporting bias due to the sensitivity of some of the questions.

Automated summary

Psychiatric conditions, including eating disorders, are highly stigmatized. A study in Sweden using an anonymous online survey found that the stigma of eating disorders is more pronounced among males. The study also revealed a positive relationship between drive for muscularity and eating psychopathology. Interestingly, only the attitudinal aspect of drive for muscularity was negatively related to life satisfaction, while the behavioral component was unrelated. Additionally, the study found no significant differences in drive for muscularity and disordered eating across participants with various sexual orientations.