Investigating the effects of attachment styles and perceived parental attitudes on body image and eating attitudes in adolescents

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between adolescents' attachment styles and perceived parental attitudes with body image and eating attitudes. The sample consists of 1,250 adolescents (512 female, 738 male), aged between 12 and 18, who were voluntarily recruited from various public and private schools in Istanbul. During data collection, participants completed the Sociodemographic Information Form, Three-Dimensional Attachment Styles Scale, Shortened Perceived Parental Attitudes Scale, Body Image Scale, and Eating Attitudes Test. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and normality assumptions were tested. Parametric analyses including independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed. Findings revealed significant relationships among attachment styles, perceived parental attitudes, body image, and eating attitudes. Anxious-ambivalent attachment significantly predicted eating attitudes in a positive direction, while secure and avoidant attachment styles did not. Additionally, both secure and avoidant attachment styles positively predicted body image, whereas anxious-ambivalent attachment negatively predicted body image. Regarding perceived parental attitudes, maternal and paternal emotional warmth positively predicted body image, while maternal overprotectiveness negatively predicted it. Other subdimensions had no significant effects on body image. Furthermore, paternal rejection and maternal overprotectiveness significantly and positively predicted eating attitudes. Body image and eating attitudes were found to be negatively correlated. According to correlation analyses, insecure attachment styles (anxious-ambivalent and avoidant) were positively associated with negative parental attitudes (rejection and overprotectiveness), whereas secure attachment style showed a positive association with emotional warmth. Additionally, body image and eating attitudes were negatively associated. In terms of demographic variables, females scored higher in anxious-ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles than males, while males had higher body image scores and females scored higher in eating attitudes. Analyses by age indicated a decrease in secure attachment during middle adolescence, and an increase in avoidant attachment in older ages, while no significant differences were found for anxious-ambivalent attachment across age groups. Grade-level comparisons showed that as grade level increased, secure attachment decreased, while avoidant and anxious-ambivalent tendencies increased. Adolescents with separated parents reported lower secure attachment and higher anxious-ambivalent attachment levels. Body image and eating attitudes also varied by demographic characteristics. Adolescents with more educated or higher-income parents reported more positive body image and more balanced eating attitudes. In terms of body mass index, overweight and obese adolescents reported more negative body image and disordered eating behaviors. In conclusion, the findings highlight the key role of attachment patterns and perceived parental attitudes in shaping adolescents' body image and eating attitudes. These factors should be considered in both family-based interventions and school-based preventive efforts.