Weight stigma from romantic partners

Its relations with maladaptive and adaptive coping and depressive symptoms

Bibliographic Data

ID21391945
AuthorsHannah Xiaohan Wu (0000-0002-5072-4619, Faculty of Education University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade Taipa Macau China), Tiffany Ting Chen (0000-0001-6833-067X, Faculty of Education University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade Taipa Macau China, corresponding author), Boby Ho‐hong Ching (0000-0002-3526-7704, University of Macau), Boby H-H Ching (Faculty of Education University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade Taipa Macau China), Xiangyu Li (0009-0008-8214-4337, University of Macau), Xiang Y Li (Faculty of Education University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade Taipa Macau China), Yuan H Li (Faculty of Education University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade Taipa Macau China)
Year2024
Volume65
Issue2
Pages157-167
Publication date2024-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScandinavian Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0036-5564 • E-ISSN: 1467-9450
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/sjop.12965
PMID37675937
OpenAlexW4386506067
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited75

Social devaluation of being overweight is common in daily life, but little is known about the weight stigma in romantic relationships. The present study investigated the roles of maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies in the relation between the experience of weight stigma in romantic relationships and depressive symptoms in men and women, respectively. Analyses of gender differences and structural equation modeling yielded several findings. First, while men and women experienced similar levels of weight stigma from their romantic partners, women were more likely to use exercise avoidance, disengagement coping, and reappraisal coping strategies, and to exhibit more depressive symptoms than men. Second, men who experienced weight stigma tended to cope with it through exercise avoidance and disengagement coping, which were related to greater depressive symptoms. Men also coped with weight stigma adaptively via reappraisal coping, which was additionally associated with more positive affect. Third, the relation between the experience of weight stigma and depressive symptoms in women was only explained by using disengagement coping. These findings extend the understanding of weight stigma to a specific context and provide some insight that future interventions to reduce the impacts of weight stigma should be tailored accordingly for men and women

Cognition · Coping (psychology) · Depressive symptoms · Developmental psychology · Disengagement theory · Maladaptive coping · Obesity · Overweight · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Social support · Weight stigma · Clinical Psychology · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Humor Studies and Applications · Medicine · Obesity and Health Practices · Psychology · Social Psychology · Gerontology