We've Moved!
Visit SDSU’s new digital collections website at https://digitalcollections.sdsu.edu
Description
Body dissatisfaction (BD) is prevalent among sexual minority men, is rooted in the desire to match the idealized male physique (i.e., lean and muscular), and often leads to constant body surveillance and emphasis on one’s appearance. This attention can result in minimization of oneself to a body/body parts and subsequent symptoms of depression and anxiety. Sexual minority men with BD may seek out and engage in sexual behaviors to temporarily assuage negative affect, becoming behaviorally reinforcing, and problematic. This behavior pattern, known as sexual compulsivity, is positively associated with both negative affect and HIV transmission risk behaviors. To date, no known studies have investigated the association between BD and sexual compulsivity. Participants were 144 sexual minority men who participated in a HIV home-testing study between June 2012 and December 2014. Participants were 18 years of age or older, HIV-uninfected, not currently using PrEP, and reported engaging in sexual risk behaviors in the last six months. This study utilized a cross-sectional design from a larger, longitudinal study; self-report questionnaires were collected from the 3-month follow-up time point. Analyses employed bivariate analyses, as well as two hierarchical linear regression models: one testing global BD, and the other examining muscle and body fat dissatisfaction, both controlling for negative affect. Bivariate correlations revealed significant medium-sized associations between sexual compulsivity and global BD (r = .39), muscle dissatisfaction (r = .37), and body fat dissatisfaction (r = .24). Models revealed global BD (b = .18; p < .01) contributed significantly to the model predicting sexual compulsivity, whilst controlling for negative affect (ΔR2 = .05; F = 10.10; p < .01). Muscularity dissatisfaction (b = .14; p < .01), but not body fat dissatisfaction (b = .02; p = .65), contributed significantly to the model (ΔR2 = .05; F = 5.74; p < .01); additional analyses did not reveal significant moderation by negative affect. This study suggests that BD and sexual compulsivity are significantly and positively associated among sexual minority men, in both bivariate models, and whilst controlling for negative affect; muscle dissatisfaction may be driving this significant association. The dual role sexual behavior may play is discussed.
