Self-reported exteroception across eating disorder presentations: associations with sociocultural factors

Purpose Exteroception, the processing of environmental sensory information, may be relevant to eating disorder (ED) symptoms, but limited research has examined its associations across specific ED symptom dimensions. This study primarily examined whether self-reported exteroceptive sensibility was associated with dietary restraint, eating concern, weight concern, shape concern, avoidant/restrictive eating symptoms, binge-eating symptoms, and orthorexia-related symptoms. Secondary analyses investigated sociodemographic differences in self-reported exteroceptive sensibility and whether sociodemographic variables moderated associations between self-reported exteroceptive sensibility and ED symptom dimensions. Methods A non-clinical community sample of 221 Australian adults completed self-report measures of ED symptoms and exteroceptive sensibility. Spearman correlations assessed associations between exteroceptive sensibility and ED symptom dimensions. Group comparisons assessed sociodemographic differences in exteroceptive sensibility, and regression-based moderation models examined whether sociodemographic variables (e.g. sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and age) moderated associations between exteroceptive sensibility and ED symptom dimensions. Results Self-reported exteroceptive sensibility was positively associated with dietary restraint, eating concern, weight concern, shape concern, avoidant/restrictive eating symptoms, and binge-eating symptoms. Associations with orthorexia-related symptoms were weaker and did not remain statistically significant after Holm–Bonferroni correction. Associations were strongest for avoidant/restrictive eating symptoms. Exteroceptive sensibility differed across several sociodemographic variables, but moderation analyses provided limited evidence that these variables altered associations between exteroceptive sensibility and ED symptom dimensions. Conclusion Self-reported exteroceptive sensibility was positively associated with multiple ED symptom dimensions, with the strongest associations observed for avoidant/restrictive eating symptoms. Findings support consideration of sensory experiences in ED assessment and care. Level of evidence : Level III, cross-sectional analytic study.