Applying Bisexual Minority Stress and Body Dissatisfaction to a Model of Body Image Concern for Bisexual Adults

Body image concerns are strongly associated with disordered eating. Disordered eating has been disproportionately reported by bisexual women compared to lesbian and heterosexual women. Additionally, disordered eating and body image concerns are more prevalent among gay and bisexual men compared to heterosexual men and among trans/nonbinary adults compared to cis adults, but research on bisexual cis men and trans/nonbinary adults is limited. To further explore these disparities, structural equation modeling was utilized to examine body image among 258 bisexual participants (cis women, cis men, and trans and nonbinary persons), in line with Mason et al.’s proposed model of disordered eating and body image concerns. The structural model revealed that bisexual-specific minority stress (internalized binegativity and anti-bisexual discrimination) was significantly and positively related to the internalization of body image norms. Bisexual minority stress was also significantly and positively related to body image coping. Contrary to predictions, bisexual minority stress was positively related to body image esteem when accounting for body image norms and body image coping. The indirect relationship between bisexual minority stress and body image esteem through body image norms was not significant, nor was the indirect relationship between bisexual minority stress and body image esteem through body image coping. However, the combined indirect effect of the two mediators was significant. In other words, experiencing anti-bisexual discrimination and internalizing negative views of bisexual people was related to more internalization of societal norms around body composition, as well as engaging in more coping focused on body image; contrary to predictions, discrimination and internalized binegativity were related to more body image esteem. The results partially support Mason et al.’s model of disordered eating and contribute to the literature by exploring the unique predictors of body esteem among a large sample of bisexual adults of various genders.