The mother-daughter Shared Agency in Weight Management Scale (SAWMS): development, validation, and implications for body dissatisfaction

BackgroundMuch research suggests that mothers play an important role in shaping daughters' body image, yet less is known about how mother-daughter relationship dynamics in weight management affect daughters' body dissatisfaction. The current paper described the development and validation of the mother-daughter Shared Agency in Weight Management Scale (SAWMS) and examined its associations with daughter's body dissatisfaction.MethodsIn Study 1 (N = 676 college students), we explored the factor structure of the mother-daughter SAWMS and identified three processes (control, autonomy support, and collaboration) whereby mothers work with daughters in weight management. In Study 2 (N = 439 college students), we finalized the factor structure of the scale by conducting two CFAs and assessing the test-retest reliability of each subscale. In Study 3 (same sample as Study 2), we examined the psychometric properties of the subscales and their associations with daughters' body dissatisfaction.ResultsCombining results from EFA and IRT, we identified three mother-daughter dynamics in weight management-maternal control, maternal autonomy support, and maternal collaboration. However, based on various empirical results indicating poor psychometric properties of the maternal collaboration subscale, we removed it from the mother-daughter SAWMS and only evaluated the psychometric properties of the remaining two subscales (i.e., control and autonomy support). They explained a significant amount of variance in daughters' body dissatisfaction over and above the effect of maternal pressure to be thin. Maternal control was a significant and positive predictor of daughters' body dissatisfaction; maternal autonomy support was a significant and negative predictor.ConclusionsResults suggested that maternal control in weight management was associated with daughters' increased body dissatisfaction, whereas maternal autonomy support in weight management was associated with daughters' lower body dissatisfaction. These specific ways in which mother work with daughters in weight management provide nuances in understanding young women's body dissatisfaction. Our SAWMS offers new ways to examine body image among young women through the mother-daughter relationship dynamics in weight management. Plain English summaryThe current study described the procedure of developing a new measurement-the mother-daughter Shared Agency in Weight Management Scale (SAWMS). This scale aims to measure the different ways in which mothers work with their cisgender daughters in weight management. Based on self-reported survey data from cisgender female college students, we identified two ways whereby mothers work with their daughters in weight management-maternal control and maternal autonomy support. To better understand these mother-daughter dynamics, we also examined their relations with daughter's body dissatisfaction. We found that daughters whose mothers were more controlling when it comes to weight management reported higher levels of body dissatisfaction. On the other hand, daughters whose mothers were more autonomy-supportive in weight management reported lower levels of body dissatisfaction. Our results have important implications for understanding how mother-daughter relationship dynamics in weight management may contribute to the development of body image and perceptions among young women.

Automated summary

This study developed a new measurement called the mother-daughter Shared Agency in Weight Management Scale (SAWMS) and explored how the dynamics of mother-daughter relationship in weight management affect daughters' body dissatisfaction. The findings showed that maternal control in weight management was positively associated with daughters' body dissatisfaction, while maternal autonomy support in weight management was negatively associated with daughters' body dissatisfaction.