Dietary restraint and self-discrepancy in male university students. (April 2016) - Orellana, Ligia
Abstract: Self-discrepancy describes the distance between an ideal and the actual self. Research suggests that self-discrepancy and dietary restraint are related, causing a significant impact on the person's well-being. However, this relationship has been mostly reported in female and mixed populations. In order to further explore dietary behaviors and their relations to self-discrepancy and well-being-related variables in men, a survey was applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 119 male students from five Chilean state universities (mean age = 21.8, SD = 2.75). The questionnaire included the Revised Restraint Scale (RRS) with the subscales weight fluctuations (WF) and diet concern (DC), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Satisfaction with Food-Related Life Scale (SWFL), the Nutrition Interest Scale (NIS), and the Self-discrepancy Index (SDI). Questions were asked about socio-demographic characteristics, eating and drinking habits, and approximate weight and height. A cluster analysis applied to the Z-scores of the RRS classified the following typologies: Group 1 (22.7%), men concerned about weight fluctuations ; Group 2 (37.0%), men concerned about diet and weight fluctuations ; Group 3 (40.3%), unconcerned about diet and weight fluctuations . The typologies differed in their SDI score, restriction on pastry consumption and reported body mass index (BMI). Students with higher DC and WF scores had a higher BMI, and tended to report high self-discrepancy not only on a physical level, but also on social, emotional, economic and personal levels. This study contributes to the literature on subjective well-being, dietary restraint and self-discrepancy in men from non-clinical samples. Highlights: Dietary behaviors and their relations to self-discrepancy and well-being-related variables were studied in male university students. There were three typologies of male university students distinguished, based on dietary restraint, self-discrepancy on different levels and nutrition interest. Students with concern over weight, or diet and weight, reported higher self-discrepancy not only on a physical level, but also on social, emotional and personal levels.