%0 Journal Article
%T Moderating effect of self-esteem between perfectionism and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder among Lebanese adults.
%A Chaaya R
%A Hallit R
%A Malaeb D
%A Sakr F
%A Dabbous M
%A El Khatib S
%A Fekih-Romdhane F
%A Hallit S
%A Obeid S
%J BMC Psychiatry
%V 24
%N 1
%D 2024 Apr 26
%M 38671387
%F 4.144
%R 10.1186/s12888-024-05762-8
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a new diagnosis added to the DSM-5 characterized by pathological eating habits without body image disturbances. Previous findings demonstrated a general association between high levels of perfectionism and low levels of self-esteem in association with general eating disorders. However, research is scant when it comes to ARFID specifically. Subsequently, although self-esteem is seen to moderate the association between perfectionism and general eating disorders, this research study aims to explore the same moderation but with ARFID specifically.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>For this study, 515 Lebanese adults from the general Lebanese population were recruited from all over Lebanon, 60.1% of which were females. The Arabic version of the Big Three Perfectionism Scale- Short Form (BTPS-SF) was used to measure self-critical, rigid and narcissistic perfectionism; the Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder screen (NIAS) was used to score the ARFID variable; the Arabic-Single Item Self-Esteem (A-SISE) was the scale used to measure self-esteem.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Across the different perfectionism types, self-esteem was seen to moderate the association between narcissistic perfectionism and ARFID (Beta = - 0.22; p =.006). At low (Beta = 0.77; p <.001), moderate (Beta = 0.56; p <.001) and high (Beta = 0.36; p =.001) levels of self-esteem, higher narcissistic perfectionism was significantly associated with higher ARFID scores.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>This study brought to light some crucial clinical implications that highlight the need for interventions that help in the enhancement of self-esteem in patients with high perfectionism and ARFID. This study suggests that clinicians and healthcare professionals should focus more on risk factors influencing the development and maintenance of ARFID-like symptoms.