A daily diary study of self-compassion, body image, and eating behavior in female college students. (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kelly, Allison C.; Stephen, Elizabeth
• Is Part Of: Body image. Volume 17(2016)
• Page Start: 152
• Page End: 160
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: Self-compassion -- Self-esteem -- Body image -- Body appreciation -- Intuitive eating -- Disordered eating; Body image -- Periodicals; Body image -- Research -- Periodicals; Body Image -- Periodicals; 306.4613
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.03.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1740-1445

Abstract

Highlights: Higher daily self-compassion was associated with better daily body appreciation and body image. Higher daily self-compassion was associated with higher daily levels of intuitive eating. Higher daily self-compassion was associated with lower daily levels of restrained eating. Higher mean levels of self-compassion over a week were linked to better body image and eating habits. Results generally held when controlling for daily and weekly self-esteem. Abstract: Although self-compassion is associated with healthier body image and eating behavior, these findings have generally emerged at the between-persons level only. The present study investigated the unique contributions of within-person variability in self-compassion, and between-persons differences in self-compassion, to body image and eating behavior. Over seven days, 92 female college students completed nightly measures of self-compassion, self-esteem, dietary restraint, intuitive eating, body appreciation, body satisfaction, and state body image. Multilevel modeling revealed that within-persons, day-to-day fluctuations in self-compassion contributed to day-to-day fluctuations in body image and eating. Between-persons, participants' average levels of self-compassion across days contributed to their average levels of body image and eating over the week. Results generally held when controlling for within- and between-persons self-esteem. Evidently, the eating and body image benefits of self-compassion may come not only from being a generally self-compassionate person, but also from treating oneself more self-compassionately than usual on a given day.