Greater Gastric Interoception is Associated with More Positive Body Image: Evidence from Adults in Malaysia and the United Kingdom

Todd, Jennifer, Aspell, Jane E., Barron, David, Toh, Evelyn K. L., Zahari, Hanoor S., Khatib, Nor A. Mohd., Laughton, Ryan and Swami, Viren (2020) Greater Gastric Interoception is Associated with More Positive Body Image: Evidence from Adults in Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Body Image, 34. pp. 101-111. ISSN 1873-6807

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Abstract

Gastric interoception refers to the processing of sensory stimuli originating in the gut. Previous research has found that gastric interoception (measured using a water load task) is associated with drive for thinness in young Western women. However, associations with broader facets of body image and in diverse national groups have not been previously investigated. To address these issues, we asked samples of adults in the United Kingdom (UK; N = 91, women n = 54) and Malaysia (N = 100, women n = 50) to complete a 2-stage water load task (WLT) and measures of positive body image (i.e., body appreciation, functionality appreciation). The results indicated that a greater change in the intensity of self-reported WLT-related sensations was associated with significantly higher body appreciation and functionality appreciation after accounting for gender identity, body mass index, and national group. Behavioural performance on the WLT was significantly associated with body appreciation and functionality appreciation for the Malaysian sample, but not the UK adults, after accounting for gender identity and body mass index. These findings extend previous research by demonstrating that there are significant associations between facets of gastric interoception and previously unexplored facets of body image in both Western and non-Western settings.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Keywords:	Interoception, Gastric interoception, Positive body image, Cross-national, Body appreciation, Functionality appreciation
Faculty:	Faculty of Science & Engineering
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic User
Depositing User:	Symplectic User
Date Deposited:	29 May 2020 13:09
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2021 02:02
URI:	https://arro.anglia.ac.uk/id/eprint/705577

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