Sexual orientation and prevalence of disordered eating among young adults: Intersections with race, ethnicity, and gender.

OBJECTIVE: Disordered eating is a public health concern linked with many adverse outcomes. Research has identified disparities in disordered eating prevalence across multiple social positions, but less work has examined sexual orientation as a primary consideration alongside other marginalized positions. This study examines prevalence of disordered eating behaviors across sexual orientation in combination with race/ethnicity and gender among young adults. METHODS: Participants included 960 young adults involved in Project EAT 2023. The adjusted probabilities of disordered eating outcomes (dieting, unhealthy weight-control behaviors [UWCB], and binge eating) among participants who identified as straight or a marginalized sexual orientation by gender and race/ethnicity were calculated from logistic regression models. RESULTS: Asian young adults with a marginalized sexual orientation had lower prevalence of dieting and UWCB compared to their straight peers. In contrast, Hispanic participants with a marginalized sexual orientation had greater prevalence of UWCB than straight Hispanic participants. White participants with a marginalized sexual orientation had a higher prevalence of binge eating compared to their straight peers. Straight men additionally reported greater dieting than men with a marginalized sexual orientation. DISCUSSION: This study contributes to a growing body of work on the intersectional nature of propensity for disordered eating behaviors. The findings highlight a need for more nuanced approaches to research, prevention, and intervention.