Media influence and body satisfaction among adolescent females, Minia, Egypt

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction is an important component of a variety of prevalent health problems. This study aimed to assess the media influences on body dissatisfaction among female college students. This study included a sample of 408 adolescent females who were chosen randomly from Minia University and completed a survey using the the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale (SATAQ-4) and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) in the period from 1 March to 1 April 2017. In addition, their body mass index (BMI) was measured. It was found that adolescents who showed marked concern with body shape had higher SATAQ-4 scores. The independent variables (BMI, SATAQ total score and its subscales) explained 58% of the variance in body shape dissatisfaction. The most significant predictors of body dissatisfaction were BMI and subjective feelings of media pressure to have an ideal appearance (β = 0.38 and 0.31, respectively). There was a relation between media influence and body dissatisfaction in this sample of Egyptian female students. Media literacy training could represent a promising approach to eating and body disturbance prevention.