Abstract
BackgroundAlthough different aspects of body image have been extensively studied in Western societies, there is little evidence regarding the main physical components that contribute to perceptions of body image from the perspective of adolescents, especially in Eastern-Mediterranean regions. This study aims to investigate main physical components of body image from the perspectives of Iranian boys and girls.MethodsThis qualitative study has been conducted using a grounded theory approach. The focus of the current study was on identifying the main physical characteristics of body image as perceived by participants. A total of 13 semi-structured focus group discussions were conducted with 84 adolescents (42 girls and 42 boys), aged 15–18 years. All focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data collection continued until saturation was reached.ResultsThe mean age and BMI of participants were 16.2±0.9 years and 24.3±8.0 kg/m2 respectively. Regarding main physical components of body image, three main themes emerged from the data: 1) perceived face/hair, which included three subthemes-facial features, facial shape/form and hair, 2) perceived body, which included three subthemes-body size, body shape and bone structure and 3) perceived physical functioning which included three subthemes-physical ability, physical health and voice tone. Among mentioned themes, perceived body was the concept which was most frequently addressed by both adolescent boys and girls. Additionally, in terms of the other remaining two themes, when adolescents were talking about their bodies, girls more frequently mentioned their faces and its features, while boys tended to talk more about their physical functioning.ConclusionThis qualitative study provide further insight into the physical components of body image as perceived by Iranian boys and girls. Current findings indicated that besides those features that focused on body appearance and its aesthetic aspects, physical functioning was another main component of perceived body image by participants. These findings can contribute to the design and implementation of effective interventions aiming at improving body image and its related disorders in Iranian adolescents.
Highlights
Different aspects of body image have been extensively studied in Western societies, there is little evidence regarding the main physical components that contribute to perceptions of body image from the perspective of adolescents, especially in Eastern-Mediterranean regions
The body image components that emerged from the data were categorized into three main themes: 1) perceived face/hair, 2) perceived body and 3) perceived physical functioning
The first two themes are related to body appearance, while the latter refers to how body functions
Summary
Different aspects of body image have been extensively studied in Western societies, there is little evidence regarding the main physical components that contribute to perceptions of body image from the perspective of adolescents, especially in Eastern-Mediterranean regions. Body image includes an individual’s perception, thoughts, feelings, and actions toward his/her body [1]. Body image is strongly influenced by pubertal and identity development as well as physical and physiological changes that happen during adolescence [2]. Both positive and negative body image have been shown to influence health and healthrelated behaviors in adolescents. Body dissatisfaction and body concerns had a negative influence on several health-related behaviors including physical activity, dietary behaviors and tobacco and alcohol use [6,7,8]. Body dissatisfaction, which has been known as an important public health concern, found to be a risk factor for a broad range of physical and psycho-social health problems in adolescence [7, 9,10,11]
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