The role of acculturative stress and self-construal in maladaptive eating behaviors among female young adults in diverse college settings

The increasing cultural diversity in the United States means more college students identify with racial and ethnic minority backgrounds and may experience acculturative stress. Emerging research has found an association between acculturative stress and maladaptive eating. However, these studies rarely consider other theoretical factors or confounders, and individual differences. Thus, the unique contribution of acculturative stress and the generalizability of previous findings remain unclear. Objective: This cross-sectional study investigated the role of acculturative stress and self-construal (i.e., how individuals define themselves in relation to others in social environments) in maladaptive eating among female college students. Method: Participants were 446 female young adults (Mage = 20.38, SD = 1.75; MBMI = 23.42, SD = 4.62) who completed online questionnaires. Results: Structural equation modeling results showed that acculturative stress was related to higher disinhibited eating even when accounting for traditional theoretical risk factors (i.e., body dissatisfaction, perceived sociocultural pressures on body image, and general stress) and potential confounders (i.e., age, BMI, SES, ethnic backgrounds, and birthplace). Furthermore, independent self-construal (i.e., when individuals see themselves as autonomous, prioritizing personal goals and uniqueness over social relationships) moderated this association. When independent self-construal was higher, the magnitude of the regression coefficient between acculturative stress and disinhibited eating was smaller. Discussion: Given the increasing diversity within U.S. higher education, eating behavior theories should consider integrating acculturative stress to improve inclusiveness. College psychological services should tailor prevention and treatment strategies for maladaptive eating to address acculturative stress, while also promoting an environment that supports healthy, independent self-construal.