An evaluation of a structural model for studies of the initiation of dieting among adolescent girls

A model proposed to elucidate the sociopsychological processes involved in the initiation of dieting behavior among female adolescents was evaluated in the present study. The model incorporates social influence (as modeling, conformity, and compliance), autonomous functioning (as conformity disposition, individuation, self-reliance, and locus of control), skill-related functioning (as interpersonal negotiation skills and social self-efficacy), and parental style (in care and overprotection). It was investigated using path analytic procedures. One hundred forty-eight female high school students, aged between 13 and 16 years, completed a battery of questionnaires and were also interviewed individually. The results emphasized that adolescent dieting needs to be understood as a complex multicausal phenomenon. Adolescents' perceptions of direct pressure from their parents to diet was found to be a significant predictor of dieting, and perceived parental encouragement of autonomy, and self-confidence were associated with less dieting behavior. Moreover, whereas body mass index (BMI) and body dissatisfaction significantly predicted dieting, the three sociopsychological variables remained significant predictors of dieting when taking BMI into account, and perceived parent influence to diet remained a significant predictor when taking body dissatisfaction into account. The effect of autonomous functioning on dieting was mediated by body dissatisfaction. The findings suggest a reformulated model for use in large-scale longitudinal investigations.