Table 4 Mediation analyses results, taking self-esteem/physical appearance comparison as independent variables, depression/anxiety/stress as mediators and intuitive eating as the dependent variable taking self-esteem/physical appearance comparison as independent variables depression/anxiety/stress as mediators and intuitive eating as the dependent variable. *Indicates significant mediation. Direct effect refers to the direct association between avoidant restrictive eating and wellbeing without the effect of the mediator, whereas the indirect effect refers to the same association through the mediator (psychological distress).
Direct effect | Indirect effect | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mediators | Beta | SE | P | Beta | Boot SE | Boot CI |
Model 1: Self-esteem as the independent variable. | ||||||
Depression | 0.14 | 0.04 | < 0.001 | − 0.03 | 0.01 | − 0.05; − 0.01* |
Anxiety | 0.13 | 0.04 | < 0.001 | − 0.02 | 0.01 | − 0.04; 0.002 |
Stress | 0.12 | 0.04 | 0.001 | − 0.01 | 0.01 | − 0.02; 0.002 |
Model 2: Physical appearance comparison as the independent variable. | ||||||
Depression | − 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.007 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.004; 0.03* |
Anxiety | − 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.024 | 0.01 | 0.001 | − 0.001; 0.02 |
Stress | − 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.026 | 0.01 | 0.004 | − 0.001; 0.02 |
