Eating Disorder Symptoms in the Context of Perfectionism and Sociocultural Internalization: A Profile Analysis and Mediation Approach

Background: This study examined the interplay between sociocultural internalization, perfectionism, and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. We pursued two complementary aims: (1) to identify latent profiles of women based on adaptive/maladaptive perfectionism and sociocultural internalization, and (2) to test perfectionism as a mediator between sociocultural internalization and ED symptoms. Methods: Participants comprised 203 Polish women aged 18–35 years (M = 25.1, SD = 3.5). Measures included the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), the Polish Adaptive and Maladaptive Perfectionism Questionnaire (KPAD), and the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify subgroups, followed by Kruskal–Wallis tests for between-profile comparisons. Mediation models were tested using the PROCESS macro (Model 4). Results: A three-profile solution provided the best fit (Entropy = 0.94). Profile 3 (high internalization and both perfectionism types; n = 58) reported the highest ED severity (EAT-26 total: M = 25.6, SD = 7.4), particularly in Dieting and Bulimia subscales. Profile 1 (low internalization, low maladaptive perfectionism; n = 64) showed the lowest scores (M = 12.3, SD = 5.2). No significant differences were found for the Oral Control subscale (H(2) = 2.53, p = 0.283). Mediation analyses indicated that maladaptive perfectionism significantly mediated associations between sociocultural internalization and ED symptoms (indirect effects b = 0.13–0.32, 95% CI excluding zero). Adaptive perfectionism was not a significant mediator. Conclusions: Results underscore maladaptive perfectionism as a key mechanism through which sociocultural pressures contribute to eating pathology. Implications include targeting internalization and perfectionistic concerns in prevention and treatment.