Differentiating the levels of risk for muscle dysmorphia among Hungarian male weightlifters: A factor mixture modeling approach

• We aimed to distinguish the levels of risk for muscle dysmorphia among weightlifters.
• Factor mixture modeling differentiated three independent groups of male weightlifters.
• The estimated prevalence of high risk muscle dysmorphia was 15.1%.
• A cut-off score for the Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale has been proposed for the identification of high risk muscle dysmorphia.

Muscle dysmorphia (MD) is a body image disturbance characterized by a pathological preoccupation with muscularity. The study aimed to differentiate the levels of risk for MD among weightlifters and to define a tentative cut-off score for the Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale (MASS) for the identification of high risk MD cases. Hungarian male weightlifters (n = 304) completed the MASS, the Exercise Addiction Inventory, and specific exercise and body image related questions. For the differentiation of MD, factor mixture modeling was performed, resulting in three independent groups: low-, moderate-, and high risk MD groups. The estimated prevalence of high risk MD in this sample of weightlifters was 15.1%. To determine a cut-off score for the MASS, sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed and a cut-off point of 63 was suggested. The proposed cut-off score for the MASS can be useful for the early detection of high risk MD.