Body Dissatisfaction, Sexual Minority Stress, and Relationship Satisfaction Among Sexual Minority Men in Taiwan

Sexual minority men are at a higher risk for body dissatisfaction (BD). Previous studies have found that experience of sexual minority stress heightens BD. The protective effects of satisfying relationships with one’s romantic partners and parents are underexplored in this population. This study examined the individual effects of sexual minority stress, romantic relationships, and child-parent relationship and explored the moderating effect of relationship satisfaction. Data came from a sample (n = 405) of gay (86.8%) and bisexual (13.2%) men (mean age = 28.54, SD = 5.6) in Taiwan who responded to an Internet-based survey containing questions about BD, sexual minority stress, satisfaction with romantic partnership, and the quality of relationship with parents. Multiple regression analysis shows that those with a higher level of BD reported a greater level of sexual minority stress and poorer relationship satisfaction with a romantic partner and parents. Meanwhile, relationship satisfaction could not buffer the adverse effect of sexual minority stress on BD. This study suggests that sexual minority men’s BD is modestly associated with sexual minority stress while satisfying relationships with a romantic partner and parents protect against BD. These findings highlight that social workers need to address the interpersonal-level factors when working with sexual minority men to promote a healthy body image.