Sexual Self-Esteem in American and British College Women: Relations with Self-Objectification and Eating Problems

The present study extended Objectification Theory (Fredrickson and Roberts, Psychol Women Q 21:173-206, 1997) to test the role of sexual self-esteem in models of disordered eating. Measures of self-objectification, sexual well-being, and disordered eating were completed by American (N = 104) and British (N = 111) college women. In Study 1, higher self-objectification was associated with lower sexual self-esteem, which, in turn, mediated the relationship between self-objectification and disordered eating in American women. In Study 2, path analyses indicated that self-objectification led to sexual self-esteem and body shame, which led to disordered eating in British women. This pattern of results was replicated, albeit weaker, when sexual self-competence replaced sexual self-esteem in the model. Discussion considers the significance of self-objectification and sexual self-esteem for women's well-being.