Specificities of sexual and gender minorities in body image

Past research (Parker & Harriger, 2020) has shown increased prevalence of body image concerns in Sexual and Gender Minorities (SGMs) compared to heterosexual and cisgender people, a phenomenon which is linked to additional health concerns such as disordered eating (Mason et al., 2018), anxiety and depression (Barnes et al., 2020). Uncovering specificities of SGMs leading to this disparity may help guide clinical work and policy. A screening of scientific search engines (EBSCO, PUBMED, Web of Science) was conducted including terms related to SGMs and body image. 20 studies were included in the current review of the literature. Minority Stress (Frost & Meyer, 2023) is associated to body image concerns, such as higher body dissatisfaction (Brewster et al., 2017) and body shame (Watson et al., 2015). LGBTQIA+ communities play a complex role, as a higher involvement in communities is sometimes associated with increased body dissatisfaction (Soulliard et al., 2023) and restrictive body image ideals (Simone et al., 2023). Gender-based body image ideals appear to play an additional role in gender minorities’ body image (Muratore et al., 2022). SGMs appear to be exposed to unique risks regarding body image. Clinical work may benefit from accounting for SGM specificities. Anti-discrimination policies may help protect SGMs’ health. Evidence is scarce regarding specific identities, as well as intersectional and cross-cultural analyses. More research is needed on the mediating role of intrapsychic factors between minority stress, body image and disordered eating. A study comparing British and Italian data will be carried out, analysing similarities and differences.