Does Women's Body Appreciation Differ by Sexual Orientation? A Brief Report

Sexual minority identification may affect women's experiences of body image; however, existing research has solely compared lesbian and heterosexual women. The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine differences in body appreciation among women who identify as heterosexual, bisexual, and other sexual minorities were found. Findings from analysis of covariance revealed significant differences in body appreciation between sexual minority and heterosexual women while controlling for demographic characteristics, and no significant differences in body appreciation between bisexual women and other sexual minority women were found. Findings suggest body appreciation may be affected by sexual orientation, but further research with more diverse samples is warranted.