The Moderating Role of Social Appearance Anxiety in the Relationship Between Perceived Parenting Styles and Eating Disorders Among Young Adults Aged 18-25 in Lebanon: A Cross sectional Study

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are increasingly prevalent among young adults in Lebanon, a country experiencing rapid sociocultural change. While parenting styles and social appearance anxiety have each been linked to disordered eating, no study in the MENA region has examined their interaction. Objective: This study investigated whether social appearance anxiety moderates the relationship between perceived parenting styles and eating disorder symptoms in a sample of Lebanese emerging adults. Methods: : A cross-sectional survey was completed by 296 participants aged 18 to 25. The study used the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), and the short-form EMBU to assess disordered eating, social appearance anxiety, and perceived parenting styles. Moderation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro in SPSS. Each model included one parenting style as the independent variable, with the remaining parenting styles entered as covariates. Separate models were conducted for maternal and paternal parenting. Results: : Maternal overprotection significantly predicted higher eating disorder symptoms only at high levels of social appearance anxiety (B = 0.012, p = .034). In the same model, paternal emotional warmth was independently associated with fewer eating disorder symptoms (B = –0.45, p = .006), suggesting a protective factor. No other parenting dimensions showed significant interaction effects. Conclusions: : This is the first study in Lebanon, and possibly the Arab region, to statistically test the moderation effect of social appearance anxiety on the relationship between perceived parenting styles and eating disorder symptoms. The findings highlight the need for culturally adapted interventions that address both parenting dynamics and appearance-based anxiety in emerging adults.