Perceived appearance pressures from close social relationships and disinhibited eating: A cross-national study among young adult college students in the United States, China, and Pakistan.

Abstract

Objective: Perceived sociocultural appearance pressures have been widely studied as predictors of body image and eating concerns. However, few studies have distinguished between pressures from mothers and fathers or examined their relative influence on these outcomes among young adults. Additionally, efforts to diversify body image research remain limited, often constrained by a focus on the West and East, neglecting regions such as South Asia. This study investigated how perceived appearance pressures from peers, mothers, and fathers relate to disinhibited eating via body image perceptions among young adults in the United States, China, and Pakistan.

Method: Participants aged 18 to 29 years from the United States (n = 505), China (n = 342), and Pakistan (n = 304; recruited from May 2022 to May 2023) self-reported study variables of this cross-sectional study.

Results: In the United States, perceived appearance pressures from all three sources (peers, mothers, and fathers) were linked to disinhibited eating through lower body esteem. In China, peer appearance pressure showed a stronger association with disinhibited eating via body esteem, while in Pakistan, maternal appearance pressure was the most significant influence among the sources studied.

Conclusions: By distinguishing maternal and paternal pressures and comparing their roles with peer pressure across cultural contexts, this study contributes to theoretical models of body image and eating concerns. The findings highlight the importance of tailoring prevention and treatment strategies to specific cultural contexts and suggest the need for developing indigenous approaches to support global public health initiatives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).