Network Structures of Eating Disorder Symptoms and Protective Factors in Men and Women

Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by marked gender disparities in prevalence and clinical presentation, yet it remains unclear whether protective mechanisms that buffer against ED risk operate similarly in men and women. This study examined gender differences in network structures linking ED symptoms and key protective factors (body appreciation, functionality appreciation, intuitive eating, life satisfaction, and self-esteem) in two independent non-clinical community samples: a Spanish sample (n = 815; 49.57% women) and an Italian sample (n = 948; 50% women). Regularized networks based on Spearman correlations were estimated separately for men and women using the EBIC graphical LASSO, and network comparison tests evaluated differences in global structure, global strength, and individual edge weights. Network invariance tests indicated no significant differences in overall network structure or global strength between genders in either sample. Body appreciation and functionality appreciation consistently emerged as the nodes with the highest positive expected influence across all networks. Edge-wise comparisons revealed largely comparable patterns across genders, with one exception: a negative association between body appreciation and ED risk was present in women but absent in men in Sample 1, a finding that did not replicate in Sample 2. Despite well-documented gender differences in protective factor levels and disordered eating manifestations, the mechanisms through which positive body image and intuitive eating buffer against ED risk appear to operate similarly across genders, positioning body appreciation and functionality appreciation as promising targets for universal, gender-inclusive ED prevention programs.