{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T06:04:38Z","timestamp":1789538678006,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789516800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To construct and test a dual-pathway differentiation model exploring associations of body image with eating disorders and physical activity among female college students, examining the differential mediating roles of thin-ideal internalization and muscular-ideal internalization.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 4,172 female college students across six universities in mainland China via online questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine patterns of association among body image, thin-ideal internalization, muscular-ideal internalization, depression, perceived body fat, eating disorders, and physical activity. The bias-corrected Bootstrap method (5,000 resamples) was used to test mediating effects.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The structural equation model showed a good fit (RMSEA = 0.044). All mediating and direct pathways in the model reached statistical significance. Thin-ideal internalization played a chain-mediating role between body image and eating disorders, while muscular-ideal internalization independently mediated the association between body image and physical activity.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Body image can differentiate into risk-oriented and adaptation-oriented behavioral pathways through different types of ideal internalization. Body image was associated with eating disorder risk, whereas muscular-ideal internalization was associated with engagement in physical activity. These findings indicate that the type of body ideal internalization functions as a core mechanism of behavioral differentiation, providing a theoretical basis and potential intervention targets for eating disorder prevention and health behavior promotion.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1823005","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T05:30:56Z","timestamp":1789536656000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Divergent pathways from body image to disordered eating and physical activity: differential roles of thin-ideal and muscular-ideal internalization among Chinese female college students"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Hongquan","family":"Chen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Physical Education and Health, Yancheng Teachers University","place":["Yancheng, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qian","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Sports Science, Shenyang Normal University","place":["Shenyang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hanru","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Martial Arts and Dance Academy, Shenyang Sport University","place":["Shenyang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Han","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Sports Science, Shenyang Normal University","place":["Shenyang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hongyao","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Longgang Central Hospital","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yitong","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Clinical College, China Medical University","place":["Shenyang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiaqi","family":"Xue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate School Division of Sports Science, Sendai University","place":["Sendai, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meng","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Sports Science, Shenyang Normal University","place":["Shenyang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"118","DOI":"10.1007\/s40211-025-00544-4","article-title":"Body image, self-esteem, emotion regulation, and eating disorders in adults: a systematic review","volume":"39","author":"Abdoli","year":"2025","journal-title":"Neuropsychiatrie"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2278289","DOI":"10.1080\/21642850.2023.2278289","article-title":"Factors associated with positive body image among Palestinian university female students, cross-sectional study","volume":"11","author":"Abu Alwafa","year":"2023","journal-title":"Health Psychol. Behav. Med."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e55568","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0055568","article-title":"Body conscious? Interoceptive awareness, measured by heartbeat perception, is negatively correlated with self-objectification","volume":"8","author":"Ainley","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"972","DOI":"10.1080\/10410236.2023.2199517","article-title":"Communicating extremity: fitness efficacy and standards relate to using extreme imagery and messaging to create fitness-related media","volume":"39","author":"Araiza","year":"2024","journal-title":"Health Commun."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.5964\/ejop.6443","article-title":"The role of social appearance comparison in body dissatisfaction of adolescent boys and girls","volume":"19","author":"Barbierik","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur. J. Psychol."},{"key":"B6","first-page":"5","article-title":"Cognitive models of depression","volume":"1","author":"Beck","year":"1987","journal-title":"J. Cogn. Psychother."},{"key":"B7","volume-title":"The Role of Family and Peer Relationships in the Development of Eating Disorders Among Adolescent Girls in Buea Municipality","author":"Besong","year":"2024"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"609","DOI":"10.1007\/s11199-017-0886-0","article-title":"Thin is in? Think again: the rising importance of muscularity in the thin ideal female body","volume":"79","author":"Bozsik","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sex Roles"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/S1740-1445(03)00011-1","article-title":"Body image: past, present, and future","volume":"1","author":"Cash","year":"2004","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"314","DOI":"10.1016\/j.molmed.2024.02.011","article-title":"New media facilitate adolescents' body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in Mainland China","volume":"30","author":"Chen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Trends Mol. Med."},{"key":"B11","author":"Cohen","year":"1988","journal-title":"Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences, 2nd Edn"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"164","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2017.04.037","article-title":"An etiological model of disordered eating behaviors among Brazilian women","volume":"116","author":"de Carvalho","year":"2017","journal-title":"Appetite"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1025","DOI":"10.1007\/s13312-017-1205-0","article-title":"Body image and its relation with body mass index among Indian adolescents","volume":"54","author":"Deshmukh","year":"2017","journal-title":"Indian Pediatr."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1049588","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.1049588","article-title":"Association between physical activity and online sexual objectification experience: the mediating role of body-image depression","volume":"13","author":"Du","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"700","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2010.546461","article-title":"Eating disorder symptoms among college students: prevalence, persistence, correlates, and treatment-seeking","volume":"59","author":"Eisenberg","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Am. Coll. Health"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2860","DOI":"10.3390\/nu11122860","article-title":"Association of health status and health behaviors with weight satisfaction vs. body image concern: analysis of 5888 Undergraduates in Egypt, Palestine, and Finland","volume":"11","author":"El Ansari","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2011.09.002","article-title":"Explaining the relation between thin ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction among college women: the roles of social comparison and body surveillance","volume":"9","author":"Fitzsimmons-Craft","year":"2012","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2022.01.018","article-title":"Pathways from sociocultural and objectification constructs to body satisfaction among men: the U.S","volume":"41","author":"Frederick","year":"2022","journal-title":"Body Project I. Body Image"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"562","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-17914-2","article-title":"The relationship between physical activity and the health of primary and secondary school teachers: the chain mediating effects of body image and self-efficacy","volume":"24","author":"Gao","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1319","DOI":"10.1002\/eat.24439","article-title":"Cross-cultural validation and application of the EDE-Q 6.0 for screening and assessment of eating disorders in Chinese females","volume":"58","author":"Gu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. J. Eat. Disord."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1186\/s40337-022-00577-y","article-title":"Online media exposure and weight and fitness management app use correlate with disordered eating symptoms: evidence from the mainland of China","volume":"10","author":"Guo","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Eat. Disord."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1007\/s40519-019-00840-3","article-title":"Validation of the 12-item Short Form of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire in the Chinese context: confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis","volume":"26","author":"He","year":"2021","journal-title":"Eat. Weight Disord. Stud. Anorexia Bulimia Obesity"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"240","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2010.02.004","article-title":"Athletic-ideal and thin-ideal internalization as prospective predictors of body dissatisfaction, dieting, and compulsive exercise","volume":"7","author":"Homan","year":"2010","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/10705519909540118","article-title":"Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional Criteria versus New Alternatives","volume":"6","author":"Hu","year":"1999","journal-title":"Struct. Eq. Model. Multidiscip. J."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"kkae003","DOI":"10.1093\/psyrad\/kkae003","article-title":"Self-objectification and eating disorders: the psychopathological and neural processes from psychological distortion to psychosomatic illness","volume":"4","author":"Hu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychoradiology"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2880","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18062880","article-title":"Social media use and body image disorders: association between frequency of comparing One's own physical appearance to that of people being followed on social media and body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness","volume":"18","author":"Jiotsa","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"606","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x","article-title":"The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure","volume":"16","author":"Kroenke","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Gen. Intern. Med."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"40","DOI":"10.2478\/pcssr-2020-0005","article-title":"Body image, physical activity and sport involvement: A study on gender differences","volume":"85","author":"Leng","year":"2020","journal-title":"Phys. Culture Sport. Stud. Res."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1186\/s41155-020-00149-6","article-title":"Translation, adaptation and psychometric properties of SATAQ-4R for Brazilian children","volume":"33","author":"Neves","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psicol. Reflex\u00e3o Cr\u00edtica"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3039","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2019.03039","article-title":"The influence of sports participation on body image, self-efficacy, and self-esteem in college students","volume":"10","author":"Ouyang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"470","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jadohealth.2021.02.002","article-title":"Jr, Ritterman Weintraub ML, Lau JS. Disordered eating, body image dissatisfaction, and associated healthcare utilization patterns for sexual minority youth","volume":"69","author":"Parmar","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Adoles. Health"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.88.5.879","article-title":"Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies","volume":"88","author":"Podsakoff","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Appl. Psychol."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.3758\/BRM.40.3.879","article-title":"Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models","volume":"40","author":"Preacher","year":"2008","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Methods"},{"key":"B34","first-page":"70","article-title":"Citra tubuh dengan gangguan makan binge eating disorder pada Remaja Putri usia 16-18 tahun","volume":"15","author":"Puspita","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Ilmu Kes."},{"key":"B35","volume-title":"Examining the relationship between information processing strategies and disordered eating behaviour [Doctoral dissertation]","author":"Ralph-Nearman","year":"2018"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.130.2.179","article-title":"biopsychosocial model of disordered eating and the pursuit of muscularity in adolescent boys","volume":"130","author":"Ricciardelli","year":"2004","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"239","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2022.03.002","article-title":"Incorporating social media and muscular ideal internalization into the tripartite influence model of body image: Towards a modern understanding of adolescent girls' body dissatisfaction","volume":"41","author":"Roberts","year":"2022","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"706","DOI":"10.1037\/dev0000013","article-title":"Longitudinal relationships among internalization of the media ideal, peer social comparison, and body dissatisfaction: implications for the tripartite influence model","volume":"51","author":"Rodgers","year":"2015","journal-title":"Dev. Psychol."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1567566","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1567566","article-title":"Sex-related perception of body image, attitude toward food, and nutritional status of university students, and their relationship with physical activity level","volume":"16","author":"Ruiz-Bravo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S286","DOI":"10.4103\/0019-5545.161493","article-title":"Eating disorders in women","volume":"57","author":"Sharan","year":"2015","journal-title":"Indian J. Psychiatry"},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2005.10.004","article-title":"The tripartite influence model of body image and eating disturbance: a replication with adolescent girls","volume":"3","author":"Shroff","year":"2006","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2018.12.009","article-title":"Examining positive body image, sport confidence, flow state, and subjective performance among student athletes and non-athletes","volume":"28","author":"Soulliard","year":"2019","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"622","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2011.06.009","article-title":"Risk factors for onset of eating disorders: evidence of multiple risk pathways from an 8-year prospective study","volume":"49","author":"Stice","year":"2011","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Ther."},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1861","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.289.14.1861","article-title":"Body image: a handbook of theory, research, and clinical practice","volume":"289","author":"Tamburrino","year":"2003","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1322","DOI":"10.1001\/archgenpsychiatry.2009.166","article-title":"Personality change during depression treatment: a placebo-controlled trial","volume":"66","author":"Tang","year":"2009","journal-title":"Arch. Gen. Psychiatry"},{"key":"B46","first-page":"432","article-title":"Reliability and validity of the EDE-QS among Chinese female college students","volume":"48","author":"Tian","year":"2025","journal-title":"Psychol. Sci."},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1140","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18031140","article-title":"The meaning and factors that influence the concept of body image: systematic review and meta-ethnography from the perspectives of adolescents","volume":"18","author":"Tort-Nasarre","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health"},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"199","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2011.04.008","article-title":"Refinement of the tripartite influence model for men: dual body image pathways to body change behaviors","volume":"8","author":"Tylka","year":"2011","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"118","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2015.04.001","article-title":"What is and what is not positive body image? Conceptual foundations and construct definition","volume":"14","author":"Tylka","year":"2015","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"B50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1007","DOI":"10.1016\/S0022-3999(02)00499-3","article-title":"The Tripartite Influence model of body image and eating disturbance: a covariance structure modeling investigation testing the mediational role of appearance comparison","volume":"53","author":"van den Berg","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Psychosom. Res."},{"key":"B51","author":"Wang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Latent Variable Modeling and Mplus Applications"},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1268775","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1268775","article-title":"Body image construction and mental health levels among college students: a data survey of Chinese university students","volume":"11","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Public Health"},{"key":"B53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1103724","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2023.1103724","article-title":"The effects of body dissatisfaction and depression levels on the dietary habits of university students in southern China during COVID-19","volume":"10","author":"Wu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Nutr."},{"key":"B54","first-page":"83","article-title":"Introduction and revision of the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ)","volume":"24","author":"Yang","year":"2002","journal-title":"Shandong Sports Sci. Technol."},{"key":"B55","first-page":"56","article-title":"Application of PHQ-9 among Chinese college students","volume":"33","author":"Yu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Chinese J. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"285","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-025-21350-1","article-title":"The mediating effect of self-efficacy and physical activity with the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between negative body image and depression among Chinese college students: a cross-sectional study","volume":"25","author":"Yuan","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"B57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.00161","article-title":"Parental depression predicts child body mass via parental support provision, child support receipt, and child physical activity: findings from parent\/caregiver-child dyads","volume":"11","author":"Zarychta","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"B58","first-page":"378","article-title":"Research progress on unhealthy eating behaviors and potential mechanisms in adolescents with depressive disorders","volume":"60","author":"Zhao","year":"2025","journal-title":"Acta Univ. Med. Anhui"},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101814","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2024.101814","article-title":"Longitudinal relationships between physical activity, body appreciation, and proactive coping in college students: a cross-lagged panel model","volume":"51","author":"Zhou","year":"2024","journal-title":"Body Image"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1823005\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T05:30:58Z","timestamp":1789536658000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1823005\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]]},"references-count":59,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1823005"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1823005","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]]},"article-number":"1823005"}}