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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Mar 18.
Published in final edited form as: J Black Psychol. 2023 Dec 18;49(6):814–834. doi: 10.1177/00957984231192285

Peer Ethnicity as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Ethnic Identity and Body Appreciation in Black College-Aged Women

Courtney E Breiner 1, McKenzie L Miller 1, Christina M Sanzari 1, Taylor R Perry 1, Julia M Hormes 1
PMCID: PMC10948201  NIHMSID: NIHMS1973836  PMID: 38500608

Abstract

Strong ethnic identity is recognized as a protective factor against body image concern and eating pathology in Black women as they tend to hold cultural values in line with an acceptance of a variety of body shapes and sizes. Reinforcement of these cultural ideals may occur via same-race peer relationships. The current study examined the mediating role of same-race versus other-race peers in the relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation in Black women. Participants were 139 Black undergraduate women (Mage = 18.94 years, MBMI = 25.33) who completed validated measures of ethnic identity and body appreciation and reported on the ethnic makeup of their friends. We conducted mediation analysis examining the role of same-race peers on the relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation. Same-race peers mediated the relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation, where having a greater percentage of friends increased both ethnic identity and body appreciation in Black women. The influence of same-race peers should be considered in the development of culturally informed prevention and intervention efforts for eating pathology in Black women.

Keywords: ethnic identity, Black women, peer ethnicity, body appreciation

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental health conditions leading to a myriad of physical and sometimes fatal health conditions (Arcelus et al., 2011; Mehler et al., 2018). Furthermore, EDs occur at similar rates across racial groups (Cheng et al., 2019). Lifetime prevalence rates of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN) in Black individuals are 0.2%, while rates of Binge Eating Disorder (BED) are 0.62%, and a recent review of the literature examining rates of EDs across racial groups showed that Black college-aged women, particularly those who are overweight, engaged in unhealthy weight control behaviors similar to peers of other races (Rodgers et al., 2018; Udo & Grilo, 2018). Despite relatively high prevalence rates of eating pathology in Black women, limited research exists examining protective factors against eating pathology in Black women compared to the amount of research conducted on White women. It is crucial to identify risk and protective factors in Black women given the discrepancy between prevalence rates and research.

In the current study, we utilized a social identity theory framework to examine the protective nature of ethnic identity against eating pathology in Black women and expanded this research by examining peer identity as a moderator of the relationship. Social identity theory suggests that group identification provides individuals with a sense of self and pride that can increase self-esteem (Tajfel, 1978; Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Therefore, belonging to a group (e.g., being within a same-race peer group) may increase ethnic identity and therefore self-esteem. Body image and pathological eating concerns have previously been examined through a social identity framework, where to attain and maintain positive identity, individuals must feel they belong to a desirable appearance group and have maintained physical appearance peer-comparisons (Ison & Kent, 2010; Rodgers, 2016).

Research has consistently identified high ethnic identity, which encompasses a sense of belonging to or acceptance of the norms and practices of one’s cultural or subcultural group (Nagel, 1994), as a protective factor against negative body image, thin-ideal internalization, and sub-sequent eating pathology particularly in Black women (Cotter et al., 2015; Rakhkoyskava & Warren, 2014, 2016). In addition, a specific protective factor against EDs is body appreciation, the recognition of the functionality of one’s body beyond physical appearance and reduced attention to socially ideal bodies and imperfections (Wood-Barcalow et al., 2010). Furthermore, body appreciation serves as a protective factor against EDs even in environments in which individuals experience high levels of thin-ideal internalization (Cotter et al., 2015; Haliwell, 2013; Quittkat et al., 2019) and across racial groups (Baceviciene & Jankauskiene, 2020; Levine & Smolak, 2016). Identifying mediators between ethnic identity and body appreciation may provide important information regarding increasing this protective factor in Black women.

Body Image in Black Women

Preliminary work suggests that on average, Black women endorsed higher levels of body appreciation than their White peers (Swami et al., 2009). More specifically, it has been hypothesized that on average, Black women may not subscribe to the notion of thinness as the ideal body size, even within the broader context of societies, which promote Westernized body ideals (e.g., the thin ideal; Cotter et al., 2015). Although some studies suggest that Black women may experience body dissatisfaction around not meeting the curvaceous body ideal, rather than the thin ideal (Overstreet et al., 2010; Perez & Joiner, 2003), studies have consistently shown that Black women on average experienced less body dissatisfaction than their White peers (Franko & Striegel-Moore, 2002; Kronenfeld et al., 2010). Positive body image is separate from a lack of thin-ideal internalization in that it promotes an outward acceptance of the body rather than just an absence of dissatisfaction; researchers have found that despite high levels of body dissatisfaction, body appreciation increased with age in women, suggesting that these constructs are distinct although overlapping (Quittkat et al., 2019). Research findings overall suggest that as emerging adults, Black women may not only be protected from negative body image but may have enhanced body appreciation, in turn, partially protecting them from developing eating disorders.

Ethnic Identity and Body Image in Black Women

Importantly, ethnic identity has been found to be significantly and positively correlated with body appreciation in Black women, but not in other-race peers (Cotter et al., 2015). Theoretically, researchers have proposed that Black women with high ethnic identity experience greater body appreciation due to their alignment with cultural values of the Black community, including acceptance of a wider range of body shapes and sizes (Lovejoy, 2001; Rakhkovskaya & Warren, 2014; Wood & Petrie, 2010b). In a study with White and Black women, ethnic identity was a predictor of drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction for White women only, suggesting that high ethnic identity in Black women is not associated with desire for thinness (Petersons et al., 2000). Finally, a racially diverse sample of 493 undergraduate women, 10% of whom were Black, showed that regardless of race, high ethnic identity was negatively correlated with both BN symptoms and thinness expectancies (Stokej et al., 2010). While some research has found evidence for a link between ethnic identity and body appreciation in Black women, one recent study on ethnic identity and body image did not show a significant relationship between the two (Baugh et al., 2010). Identifying mediators between ethnic identity and body appreciation may explain the inconsistent findings as well as provide a greater understanding of body appreciation in Black women that can inform ED prevention efforts.

Peer Groups, Ethnic Identity, and Body Appreciation

In addition to positive relationship between ethnic identity development and body appreciation in Black women, previous research has also implicated peer groups as a factor in the development of both ethnic identity and eating pathology. Ethnic identity forms throughout adolescence and young adulthood as part of the development of identity and self-concept and coincides with the typical trajectory of eating pathology (Galmiche et al., 2019; Phinney, 1989; Umaña-Taylor et al., 2014). Notably, the life shifts throughout young adulthood may influence the development of strong ethnic identity (Kroger et al., 2010). Similarly, peer influence on identity becomes increasingly salient throughout adolescence and young adulthood (Tarrant, 2002) and peer group homophily has been related to ethnic identity, such that same-race peers and specifically peer dyads of minority individuals have significantly related levels of ethnic identity exploration and commitment (Derlan & Umaña-Taylor, 2015; Phinney et al., 2001; Syed & Juan, 2012; Yip et al., 2010). Thus, college students are an important group to study when examining ethnic identity, as they are continuing to develop and solidify their identities. Furthermore, it is pertinent to examine the mediating factor of same-race peers among Black college women, as having same-race peers may strengthen ethnic identity, and having same-race peers has been found to be related to stronger body appreciation.

Existing research on college-aged individuals specifically has shown that same-race peers endorse similar levels of ethnic identity commitment; however, this relationship was moderated by ethnicity-related discussions with peers, such that same-race peers who engaged in ethnicity-related discussions had higher ethnic identity (Syed & Juan, 2012). Based on this research, it may be that the relationship between ethnic identity and same-race peers likely becomes reciprocal, such that individuals with high ethnic identity have higher percentages of same-race peers and having same-race peers increases or maintains high ethnic identity as individuals get older. Additionally, studies focusing specifically on Black adolescents and young adults have found that greater percentages of same-race peers predict higher ethnic identity (Derlan & Umaña-Taylor, 2015). As adolescents and young adults begin to make meaning of their ethnicity in their lives and the broader sociocultural context, their peers contributed to the context in which they explored their identity. While there is limited existing research on Black college women, the research to date suggests that as ethnic identity formed in the college years, Black women with a greater number of Black friends in college may have stronger Black identity and increased body appreciation.

Peer groups additionally appear to influence eating pathology and body appreciation. For example, weight and dieting-based talk in peer groups was found to increase risk for eating pathology (Marcos et al., 2013). Peer groups have been implicated as important factors in the etiology and maintenance of eating pathology in college women specifically, such that friend comments regarding weight and dieting moderated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and eating pathology in college women (Forney et al., 2012; Keel & Forney, 2013). Given the aforementioned literature, peer groups may be a particularly salient factor in the presence of eating pathology and body appreciation in Black women due to body ideals in the Black community. Specifically, scholars have theorized that Black women with high ethnic identity experience may experience high body appreciation due to the acceptance of a wider range of bodies in their community; this may be reinforced by same-race peers (Cotter et al., 2015; Rogers Wood & Petrie, 2010). Additionally, other scholars suggest that peers of the same race may be less likely to engage in negative body talk given lower levels of body dissatisfaction, dieting, and negative body talk in Black women (Awad et al., 2015; Sladek et al., 2018). Together, this research shows that peer groups and their influence on body acceptance in Black women may be important in preventing eating pathology in Black women. Prevention of eating pathology in Black women is particularly important given the significant medical and psychosocial consequences of disordered eating and eating disorders (Mehler et al., 2015; Westmoreland et al., 2016).

Purpose of the Current Study

Together, understanding the nature of ethnic identity, the process through which ethnic identity occurs, and empirical research documenting the role of peers in this relationship, provide reasonable evidence that peers may mediate the relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation. To our knowledge, no studies have accounted for peer group racial identity in these relationships. Given the importance of peers in the formation of ethnic identity, the role of strong ethnic identity as a protective factor against eating pathology via body appreciation, and the importance of peers in the development of body appreciation, the current study will examine the mediating influence of same-race peers on the relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation. We hypothesized that Black women with a greater percentage of peers of the same race (i.e., Black) rather than peers of a different race (e.g., White, Asian, etc.) would mediate the relationship between an individual’s ethnic identity and body appreciation. In essence, the percentage of same-race peers would enhance the effect relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation.

Method

Participants

A total of 139 Black undergraduate women (Mage = 18.94 years, SD = 1.06, range = 18–22) completed the study. Fifteen participants (11%) additionally identified with another racial group, and 25 participants of 136 (18%) who provided their ethnic identity identified as Latina. Other racial group identities included specific Black identities (e.g., Caribbean American, West Indian; n = 5), as well as biracial individuals (n = 10). Given that recruitment was limited to individuals who predominantly identified as Black, individuals who reported biracial identities remained in the total sample, as they reported identifying with the Black community despite having other racial identities. We did not collect data on academic class level.

The average body mass index (BMI) of the sample was in the overweight range (MBMI = 25.33, SD = 5.55, range: 17.36–47.37. Roughly two percent (n = 3) of participants were in the underweight range, 57.55% (n = 80) were in the normal weight range, 21.58% were in the overweight range (n = 30), and 18.71% (n = 26) were in the obese range. However, this information may need to be viewed with caution, as BMI may not be a valid measurement of weight range in Black women due to differences in percent body fat and muscle mass between racial groups (Rush et al., 2007).

Procedures

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at a large, public, Northeastern university (university undergraduate makeup: 19% Black; 48% women). Participants were recruited through an online undergraduate research participant pool and received course credit in exchange for completing the research study. Participants provided consent to participate prior to starting the survey. Recruited participants were informed the survey would be an hour-long and ask questions about ethnic identity, community, peer, and family factors, and eating pathology. Recruitment specified that participants must be Black/African American women between the ages of 18 and 22 and that the study would specifically focus on ethnic identity and eating pathology. Inclusion criteria were assessed via a pre-survey screener and included identifying as Black or African American, being at least 18 years of age, and English language fluency. Participants completed the study remotely online via a link to the questionnaire hosted on the secure server Qualtrics. Of note, measures were not presented randomly, a limitation of this study. Measurement order was as follows: demographic information, ethnic identity questionnaire, and body appreciation questionnaire.

Inclusion criteria were assessed via a pre-survey screener and included identifying at least partly as Black or African American, being at least 18 years of age, and English language fluency. Participants completed the study remotely online via a link to the questionnaire hosted on the secure server Qualtrics.

Measures

Demographics.

Participants self-reported age (in years), gender (Man, Woman, Transgender, Agender, Prefer not to answer, and Other), ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx or not Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx), race (White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or Other), current weight, and height.

Peer Group Racial Identity/Percent of Same-Race Peers.

Participants additionally reported the percentage of their peer group who had the same racial identity as the participant (“Please indicate the percentage of your friends who are the same racial identity as you,” with response options: 0–20%, 21–40%, 41–60%, 61–80%, or 81–100%). Measurement of same-race peers was similar to that of Derlan and Umaña-Taylor (2015), who categorized percentage of same ethnic-racial peers into five groups (less than 20%, 21–49%, 50%, 51–74%, 75–100%).

Multicultural Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised 12-Item Version.

The MEIM-R-12 (Roberts et al., 1999) is a 12-item self-report measure of ethnic identity. There are two factors: (a) acceptance, belonging, and commitment, and (b) exploration (Roberts et al., 1999). The subscale of Acceptance, belonging, and commitment is considered an affective component of ethnic identity, while exploration is considered a developmental and cognitive component (Phinney, 1992). The twelve items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (4). To create a total score, items are averaged, and higher scores indicate greater ethnic identity. The MEIM-R-12 has shown good construct validity (Roberts et al., 1999) and has additionally shown convergent and discriminant validity with other measures of ethnic and racial identity (Casey-Cannon et al., 2011). For the current sample, Cronbach’s alpha estimate of the score was .88.

Body Appreciation Scale-Revised (BAS-2).

The BAS-2 (Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015) is a 10-item self-report measure capturing individuals’ acceptance of, respect for, and opinions about their body weight and shape. Questions are scored on a five-point Likert scale from never (1) to always (5), with higher scores indicating higher levels of body appreciation. Evidence has supported a single factor of body appreciation, and convergent and discriminant validity is supported (Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015). For the current sample, Cronbach’s alpha estimate of the score was .95.

Statistical Analysis

All statistical analyses were carried out using the Lavaan package version .6–7 for R, version 4.0.2 for Mac (RStudio, 2020). Correlations were run prior to mediation analyses. Mediation analyses were conducted using a nonparametric bootstrapping approach to test for possible mediating relationships (Preacher & Hayes, 2004). Our mediation model examined the relationship between ethnic identity and peer group racial identity (path a), the direct effect of peer group racial identity matching (mediator) on body appreciation (path b), and the total effect of ethnic identity on body appreciation (see Figure 1). The indirect effect was estimated using standard error and 95% confidence intervals calculated from 10,000 bootstrapped samples.

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Open in a new tab

Percentage of same-race peer (peer group racial identity) as a mediator of the relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation (N = 139).

The minimum sample size to detect a medium effect in partial mediation analysis with power = .80 and alpha = .05 was n = 75 (Fritz & MacKinnon, 2007). The study was thus adequately powered. Prior to analyses, data were screened for missing items; the rate of missingness (<0.01%) was low and data were missing at random; thus, available item analysis was utilized. Available item analysis performs comparably to more complex missing data methods (e.g., multiple imputation) when missingness is low (Parent, 2013).

Results

Means, standard deviations, and correlations for all variables can be found in Table 1. All variables were significantly (p < .05) correlated; thus, the indirect mediation model was tested using a bootstrapping approach.

Table 1.

Means, SDs, and Correlations of Mediation Analysis Variables (N = 139).

Variable Mean (SD) Bivariate Correlations
MEIM BAS-2
MEIM 3.29 (0.45) 1
BAS-2 3.86 (0.84) .26 1
% of same-race peers 56.4 (26.2) .43+ .27***
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*

p < .05

**

p < .01

***

p < .005

+

p < .001.

Mediation Analyses

A full mediation model was tested with peer ethnic identity as the hypothesized mediator in the relationship between individual ethnic identity and body appreciation, as shown in Figure 1. Data met the necessary assumptions for mediation analyses. Full mediation analyses revealed a significant effect of path a (β = 1.28, SE = 0.23, p < .001), path b (β = 0.18, SE = 0.06, p = .002), and the indirect path c′ (β = 0.23, SE = 0.09, p = .01). The bootstrapped indirect effect [c′ = 0.23, 95% CI = (0.08–0.44)] was significant, indicating that having a high percentage of friends of the same racial identity (or peer group racial identity match) fully mediated the relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation. The effect size of the hypothesized model was R2 = .11.

Discussion

The current study aimed to replicate previous findings showing that ethnic identity is significantly related to body appreciation in Black women and assess the mediating effect of peer group racial identity in this relationship. In line with prior research suggesting that high ethnic identity serves as a protective factor against negative body image (Cotter et al., 2015), results from the current study support a positive relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation in undergraduate Black women. The present study was additionally designed to expand on prior research to test the mediating role of having same-race peers in the relationship between individual ethnic identity and body appreciation. Our hypothesis was that same-race peer groups would fully mediate the relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation in Black women; our results supported this hypothesis. In essence, the relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation can be explained by the percentage of same-race peers individuals have. Although a limitation of this study is the use of cross-sectional data, significant mediation and good fit indices supported our hypothesized model, adding to previous findings showing a direct influence of peer group racial and ethnic identity on individual ethnic identity.

Our results expand upon previous research by replicating the relationship between strong ethnic identity and body appreciation and extend these results by examining the mediating role of peer racial identity. Specifically, this study provided preliminary evidence that being surrounded by peers or having friends of the same ethic identity (for Black women, having a greater percentage of Black friends) mediated the relationship between strong ethnic identity and greater body appreciation. Ethnic identity occurs during adolescence and young adulthood, a developmental period in which peer relationships are particularly influential (Tarrant, 2002; Umaña-Taylor et al., 2006). Phinney’s initial conceptualization of ethnic identity proposes peers as influencing factors on activities related to ethnic identity exploration, the stage through which all individuals must move to gain ethnic identity achievement (Phinney, 1989). Our findings build on this theoretical basis to show that for Black women, the strong relationship between ethnic identity and body appreciation is partially accounted for by peer racial identity. High body appreciation was a key protective factor against eating pathology, even in the context of body dissatisfaction (Halliwell, 2013), and for Black women, being around peers who have similar body ideals due to shared ethnic identity is likely protective.

Research consistently has shown that Black women in the United States on average tended to prefer a larger body size and did not experience as much body dissatisfaction as members of racial and ethnic groups that more strongly emphasized a thin ideal, such as White women (Franko & Striegel-Moore, 2002; Kronenfeld et al., 2010; Quick & Byrd-Bredbenner, 2014; Rakhkovskaya & Warren, 2014; Rogers Wood & Petire, 2010). Prior research hypothesized that this lack of body dissatisfaction was due to high ethnic identity, as overall, Black culture promotes a larger ideal body size and acceptance of a wider range of body shapes and sizes (Grabe & Hyde, 2006; Sabik et al., 2010). Despite reporting lower body dissatisfaction, however, Black women experienced eating disorders at similar rates to their White peers (Cheng et al., 2019), which may be due to body dissatisfaction around not meeting a curvaceous body ideal, rather than the thin ideal (Kelch-Oliver & Ancis, 2011; Overstreet et al., 2010). Given a paucity of measurement tools to assess body dissatisfaction beyond the thin ideal, as well as the importance of body appreciation regardless of body dissatisfaction, our results may have important implications for the prevention and treatment of eating pathology in Black women, as discussed below.

Prior research has shown that peer groups and peer group conversations has a significant influence on ED symptoms (Keel et al., 2013; Marcos et al., 2013; Shroff & Thompson, 2006). Our study provides preliminary support for the importance of the role of peer groups in increasing the efficacy of ethnic identity as a protective factor against eating pathology in Black women. Based on these results and prior research, it is likely that peer group conversations are more body inclusive in peer groups that consist of a higher percentage of Black women, and therefore further decrease risk for eating pathology. Additionally, there may be less social comparison in same-race peer groups for Black women given high rates of body acceptance in Black women (Grabe & Hyde, 2006; Sabik et al., 2010). These conclusions are in line with the social identity theory, which suggests that group identification increases self-acceptance.

In translating this research to clinical work, peer group interventions with a focus on ethnic and cultural identity may be beneficial for Black women. These types of interventions may be particularly beneficial for women in environments largely made up of White or other racial group peers, where thin-ideal internalization is promoted through Western media (MacNeill & Best, 2015; Swami et al., 2010). It may additionally be important for clinicians to encourage or facilitate body image discussions among peers of the same racial group; for example, creating and offering affinity groups in treatment settings. Integrating factors which promote the development of strong ethnic identity is particularly important as there is a paucity of culturally informed prevention and intervention programs for EDs in Black women. Finally, having diverse clinicians who share a racial or ethnic background with their clients has been shown to have positive benefit on treatment, and may be important in increasing body acceptance (Kim & Kang, 2018).

Limitations

Our findings revealed important mediation effects for the role of peer group ethnicity on body appreciation in Black women, but the study is not without limitations. First, the sample came from an undergraduate population, limiting the age range of participants (18–22) to a subset of the range of women who experience body dissatisfaction. Utilizing a collegiate sample additionally limits generalizability to populations with more severely maladaptive body image (e.g., individuals with eating disorders). However, the sample did come from a relatively racially diverse university (17% Black undergraduates; Nichols, 2020). Few colleges have this level of racial diversity, with the current study’s university ranked in the top 150 for college ethnic diversity in 2020 (US News, 2020). Therefore, although our findings suggest the ability to engage with peers of the same race or ethnic group increases body appreciation, this range may not be possible in all other settings.

Second, the average BMI in our sample was in the overweight range. Interestingly, research has shown that body appreciation is negatively correlated with BMIs of women college students; however, this relationship has been found to be moderated by ethnicity such that White women who have a higher body appreciation also had a lower BMI (He et al., 2020). Our sample may have experienced higher levels of body appreciation due to being in a body size more in line with their cultural values (Allan et al., 1993; Overstreet et al., 2010). Thus, having a smaller body and having high ethnic identity may have led to discrepancy in actual versus ideal body size. This discrepancy may explain the potential linkage of body appreciation and eating pathology. Additionally, on average Black women have BMIs in the overweight range (Krueger et al., 2015) and the percentage of college-aged women in the overweight and obese BMI range in our study was similar to other studies. Specifically, in our sample, 40.3% were in the overweight or obese ranges compared to other studies reporting ranges between 20% and 41% (Cotter et al., 2015; Pope et al., 2017). Research across BMI groups should be conducted, particularly to capture the experience of underweight Black women who may have higher levels of body dissatisfaction due to not meeting the curvaceous body ideal.

Another limitation is our use of cross-sectional design that cannot establish causality between the variables of interest. Given that measures were given at the same time and data were not collected longitudinally, our mediation analyses cannot lead to conclusions about causality.

Future Directions

Future research should aim to examine the mediating role of ethnic identity between percentage of same-race peers and body appreciation in adolescence, particularly given the centrality of peer processes and their impact on health-risk behaviors for adolescents and young adults during this developmental period (Tarrant, 2002; Viner et al., 2012). Further research should additionally examine the direction of the relationship between same-race peers and ethnic identity; the direction of this relationship may be reciprocal and change over developmental periods. Current models of ethnic identity (Phinney, 1989) indicate that adolescence and young adulthood are the greatest periods of ethnic identity development. This time period is in line with developmental theory regarding broader identity formation (Erikson, 1968). Therefore, research examining changes in ethnic identity, and causal impacts by examining these factors longitudinally of peer groups as well as other microsystem factors (e.g., parents, education, community influences) is warranted.

Ethnic minority individuals likely experience rates of eating pathology similar to that of their White peers (Cheng et al., 2019) and may not be captured by the measures or understanding of the development of eating disorders we currently utilize. Research and measures on eating disorders have been created, validated, and studied in primarily White women, and thus may not accurately capture eating pathology in other groups. This gap is especially problematic considering prior qualitative and quantitative studies suggesting that Black women may internalize different body ideals, such as the curvy ideal, that may lead to body image/eating concerns that are not reflected in traditional measures rooted in thin-ideal internalization (Kelch-Oliver & Ancis, 2011; Overstreet et al., 2010). Future research should continue to expand beyond the thin ideal to other cultural appearance values that may be more relevant to Black women, such as the curvy ideal, in order to measure body dissatisfaction more comprehensively in this population. Individuals who do not meet the “curvy ideal” may have lower body appreciation or satisfaction.

Additionally, the current study assessed for percentage of peers of the same racial group but did not examine the ethnic identity, as measured by the MEIM-R-12, of those peers or the racial groups of other friends, nor did it assess for gender of friends. Further research should examine the racial identity of other peers as well as ethnic identity of same-race peers within a peer group to further elucidate the protective nature of these relationships. The intersection of ethnic and gender identities may be particularly important given higher levels of body dissatisfaction among women rather than men on average (Quittkat et al., 2019). Women with predominantly male friend groups may experience protective factors other than racial or ethnic identity, such as increased body appreciation due to gender identity. Finally, body appreciation is a related but distinct construct from body dissatisfaction. Although some studies have suggested that even in the context of body dissatisfaction, body appreciation protects against eating pathology, further research should examine the role of cultural values on body dissatisfaction that may lead to other EDs, such as binging behaviors.

Implications

The relationship between ethnic identity and body image is understudied despite evidence that strong ethnic identity in Black women is associated with several protective clinical outcomes. Therefore, identifying potential mediators of this relationship may help direct intervention efforts across diverse groups. For example, eating disorder interventions that increase availability of and support peer relations may be useful at the school and community levels. Teachers, parents, and mental health care workers could work to promote positive peer relations, encourage interactions, and support relationships between same-race peers. Based on our results, increasing racial diversity in the college setting would also likely be beneficial, as well as having groups and clubs specifically aimed at connecting individuals from similar racial backgrounds, if these individuals desired. Additionally, identifying individuals who have limited access to cultivating same-race peer relations and individuals who select limited friendships with same-race peers may be a critical factor to indicate risk for body image and related mental health concerns.

This study provides preliminary evidence of a protective factor (i.e., close relations with same-race peers) that could help to prevent eating pathology in Black women. Moreover, this research suggests that continued examination of ethnic identity’s role in body image is warranted. Body dissatisfaction is a known risk factor for eating pathology, which can cause a series of sometimes fatal detrimental psychological and physical effects; thus, it is vital to understand and prevent eating pathology across diverse groups.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Preparation of this manuscript is supported in part by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship [Grant No. 1645421], awarded to CMS.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author [CB], upon reasonable request.

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Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author [CB], upon reasonable request.

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