Structural equation modeling of eating attitude based on self-differentiation, emotional reactivity and negative urgency with the mediation of emotion regulation difficulty in girls

This research was conducted with the aim of modeling the structural equations of eating attitude based on self-differentiation, emotional reactivity and negative urgency with the mediation of emotion regulation difficulty in girls.

The method of conducting the research was correlational and structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this research included all young girls, of which 284 were selected by cluster sampling. The research tools include the Garner and Garfinkel (1979) eating attitude test, the short form of the Drake, Murdock, Marszalek and Barber (2015) differentiation inventory, Lynham and Miller (2004) impulsive behavior scale, Watson, Clark, and Tellgen's positive and negative affect scale. (1988) and the emotion regulation difficulty scale was Gratz and Roemer (2004). To collect data, descriptive and inferential statistics and structural equations were used using SPSS26 and AMOS24 software. Bootstrap method was used in MACRO program to analyze mediating relationships.

The findings showed that the relationship between the structural model of eating attitude based on self-differentiation, emotional reactivity (positive and negative emotional) and negative urgency with the mediation of emotion regulation difficulty has a good fit (P<0.001). Differentiation relationship with negative and inverse eating attitude, relationship between emotion regulation difficulty and direct and positive eating attitude has been estimated (P<0.001). Also, positive emotional reactivity had a negative and inverse relationship with eating attitude (P<0.001).

The findings of this study emphasize the effective role of differentiation, emotion regulation and emotional reactivity in the attitude of eating disorders in girls. Therefore, the necessary training to regulate and control emotions should be done in this important segment of the society, in order to prevent the complications and consequences of disordered eating attitude, which is eating disorders.