Aspects Of Body Image Research Articles

The associations between positive body image, well-being and psychological flexibility in breast cancer survivors

ABSTRACT In Italy, breast cancer survivors are increasing. Body image is a complex posttreatment concern for breast cancer survivors, particularly younger women. This population reports higher levels of body-image concerns associated with higher psychological distress and lower quality of life. Body image concerns and factors that can impact the body image of older breast cancer survivors remain an important but under-explored research area. The purpose of this study is to examine the association of negative and positive body image with both well-being and psychological inflexibility in a sample of breast cancer survivors. 114 women who have completed breast cancer treatment (±5 years) completed a questionnaire to measure the research variables. Hierarchical regressions and indirect effects were performed. Functionality appreciation and body compassion accounted for a significant percentage of the variance of well-being (34%) and psychological inflexibility (50%) of the participants. The indirect effect of body dissatisfaction on well-being and psychological inflexibility through body compassion was significant. The results emphasise the relevance of the positive aspect of body image on well-being and psychological inflexibility. Functionality appreciation and body compassion contribute to understanding the health-status description of these women and could be considered in future health-promotion interventions aimed at reducing psychological distress associated with body image concerns in older breast cancer survivors.

The trajectory of body image dissatisfaction during pregnancy and postpartum and its relationship to Body-Mass-Index.

During pregnancy, women's bodies undergo rapid body weight and size changes within a relatively short period. Pregnancy may therefore, be associated with an increased vulnerability for developing body image dissatisfaction linked to adverse health outcomes for the mother (e.g., depression, eating disorders) and child (e.g., impaired self-regulation, childhood obesity). The present study aims to examine the prevalence and trajectories of body image dissatisfaction during pregnancy and postpartum and its relationship to pre-pregnancy BMI. This is the first study that investigates prevalence rates of body image dissatisfaction not only ante- but also postpartum, and that compares trajectories of women with normal weight and overweight. A prospective longitudinal design with a quantitative approach was applied. Healthy pregnant women (N = 136) answered paper-pencil or online questionnaires at four time points (18th-22nd and 33rd-37th week of gestation, 3 and 6 months postpartum). Body image dissatisfaction was assessed using the German version of the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Both questionnaires are considered reliable and valid measures of several aspects of body image, and the BSQ allows for calculating prevalence rates by providing cut-off values. Using not just one but two body image questionnaires, trajectories of body image dissatisfaction can be compared. Pre-pregnancy BMI was assessed retrospectively via self-reported weight and height. The proportion of women reporting elevated levels of body image dissatisfaction was 6.6% (n = 9) in the second trimester, 2.9% (n = 4) in the third trimester, 11.0% (n = 15) three months postpartum, and 10.3% (n = 14) six months postpartum. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that body image dissatisfaction significantly decreased from pre-pregnancy to pregnancy, remained stable during pregnancy, and returned to pre-pregnancy levels three to six months postpartum. Mixed between-within ANOVA showed that the overweight/obese group reported significantly higher levels of body image dissatisfaction at each measurement point except during the third trimester than women in the normal weight group. Significant but small interaction effects between time and pre-pregnancy BMI were found. The results revealed that approximately every tenth woman is affected by body image dissatisfaction after childbirth. Women with a higher BMI level before pregnancy are particularly at risk of experiencing body image dissatisfaction. Healthcare providers should screen for body image dissatisfaction, in particular after childbirth, and inform affected women about possible adverse health outcomes and treatment options. Study limitations concern the drop-out rate of 51.4% and the retrospective and self-reported assessment of pre-pregnancy BMI. Future studies should include additional assessment points in the first trimester and more than six months postpartum and try to include a matched control group of non-pregnant women to compare prevalence rates and trajectory of body image dissatisfaction.

Culturally Local Perspectives Are Imperative to Scientific Excellence and Health Equity in Eating Disorders Research: Commentary on Monocello et al. (2024).

This commentary discusses a principal contribution of Monocello et al.'s paper presenting a cultural models approach to body fatness perceptions, which provides a rigorous and systematic means of identifying analytic categories that are locally meaningful, in contrast to categories derived from a solely universalizing perspective. In situating their work within an underrepresented population in eating disorders research-young men in South Korea-the authors step beyond the constraints of a universalizing, or etic, framework for probing how body dissatisfaction relates to eating disorder risk. The value of an alternative analytic framework, based on a culturally local, or emic, perspective on how bodies are perceived is demonstrated through the use of a cultural models approach exploring the relationship between culturally defined conceptualizations of body image and eating disorder risk. Understanding such relationships and the meanings attributed to the myriad aspects of body image through locally grounded frameworks provides an essential tool for investigators and clinicians to better understand the lived experience of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, and also to inform more culturally salient approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. An emic approach that centers local perspectives and priorities also facilitates participation of communities underrepresented in research in knowledge production.

Body Image and Self-Confidence in Young Women Who are Victims of Body Shaming

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Abstract. </strong>The act of body shaming makes young women feel sad and insecure. Young women need high self-confidence to be able to support their developmental tasks. One of the factors that supports increasing self-confidence is an assessment of physical appearance or body image. This research aims to explore the correlation between body image and self-confidence among young women who have been victims of body shaming, utilizing a correlational quantitative approach. The respondents in this study were 170 teenage girls aged 12 to 15 who were victims of body shaming in Denpasar City. Data collection involved administering validated and reliable self-confidence and body image scales. The findings revealed a significant relationship between aspects of body image (appearance evaluation, appearance orientation, body area satisfaction, overweight occupation, and self-classified weight) and self-confidence among young women who were victims of body shaming (p=0.000 < .05). This study underscores the critical need for interventions and support systems to address body shaming among young women, emphasizing the importance of fostering positive body image to enhance self-confidence and well-being.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Keywords: </strong></em><em>body image; self-confidence; body shaming</em></p>

An Examination of Youths’ Social Media Use and Body Image

Abstract: Research has suggested that social media use may present a risk to body image, but limited research explores newer social media platforms and how they are used. This study examined 275 youths’ ( Mage = 20.71) social media use in association with both positive and negative aspects of body image. Participants completed an online survey that included body image measures and items that queried them about the social media platforms they used (e.g., TikTok) and the activities they engaged in on these platforms. Findings indicated that women were more engaged in social media use and had lower body esteem and higher body shame and surveillance than men. Simultaneous regression analyses revealed that appearance-focused social media use, but not communication-focused use, was associated with negative body image. Age moderated the association between appearance-focused social media use and body appreciation. Together, these findings suggest that age, gender, and the ways in which youth use social media are important to consider in understanding potential risk for body image concerns.

Body image perception and physical activity behavior among adult population: Application of trans-theoretical model of behavior change.

The human body changes during life, but research on how sociodemographic characteristics and physical activity (PA) related to all aspects of body image are still unclear and there is conflict in the relevant results. This study aims to examine gender-specific body image perception and physical activity in relation to BMI and sociodemographic characteristics among health employees who worked in health and medical care centers. The study was a population-based cross-sectional survey of 170 health employees (55 men and 115 women) in Binaloud, Iran. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, which consisted of a self-administered Multidimensional Body-Self Image Questionnaire (MBSRQ) and stages of change scales. The full version of Marcus-TTM based on the stages of physical activity changes was used based on 5 items related to regular physical activity behavior and intentions. There were no significant differences between men and women in total body image score, body area satisfaction, and attitude. Disease orientation (p = 0.02) and health orientation (p = 0.05) were the only significant differences between men and women. The number of children, level of education, BMI, and PA had a stronger influence on body image concerns and body dissatisfaction. PA and 7 of the 10 subclasses of MBSRQ (appearance evaluation, fitness evaluation, fitness orientation, health evaluation, health orientation, and illness orientation) showed a significant difference (P<0.05) between participants in the five TTM stages. The ideal body image and body satisfaction may differ by the number of children, level of education, gender, BMI, and PA. Evidence from this study supports that participants' stages of change affect their physical activity and body image perception. This result suggests a need for conducting work/home place intervention to promote adults' body image perception and body area satisfaction based on the usage-specific stage under consideration.

Osobowość typu D u osób otyłych z uwzględnieniem wybranych aspektów obrazu ciała

Osobowość typu D u osób otyłych z uwzględnieniem wybranych aspektów obrazu ciała

Digital social evaluation: Relationships between receiving likes, comments, and follows on social media and adolescents’ body image concerns

A defining feature of social media is its social interactivity, but limited research has investigated how various aspects of digital social evaluation (i.e., likes, follows, comments) may be related with users’ body image concerns. This study investigated the relationships between aspects of digital social evaluation and body image concerns in adolescents. Australian adolescents (N = 245, 58.4 % male, Mage = 13.79, SD = 1.11) completed online surveys measuring digital social evaluation frequency (likes, follows, positive and negative comments about appearance and non-appearance), perceived importance (likes, number of followers), body dissatisfaction, restrictive eating attitudes, and drive for muscularity. Adolescents reported frequently receiving digital social evaluation, with females receiving more positive, but not negative, comments than males. All aspects of digital social evaluation were positively correlated with at least one aspect of body image concern. Controlling for other factors, all three aspects of body image were associated with receiving more frequent positive appearance-based comments, greater restrictive eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction were also associated with greater importance of likes, whilst greater drive for muscularity was associated with less frequent likes and comments. Digital social evaluation should be considered in future longitudinal or experimental research, and media literacy interventions.

Neural correlates of distorted body images in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa: How is it different from major depressive disorder?

Body image disturbance is closely linked to eating disorders including anorexia nervosa (AN). Distorted body image perception, dissatisfaction and preoccupation with weight and shape are often key factors in the development and maintenance of these disorders. Although the pathophysiological mechanism of body image disorder is not yet fully understood, aberrant biological processes may interfere with perceptive, cognitive and emotional aspects of body image. This study focuses on the neurobiological aspects of body image disturbance. The sample consisted of 12 adolescent girls diagnosed with AN, nine girls with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 10 without psychiatric diagnoses (HC, the healthy control group). We applied a block-design task in functional magnetic resonance imaging using participants' original and distorted overweight and underweight images. After imaging, the participants scored the images for resemblance, satisfaction and anxiety levels. The findings of this study demonstrate that overweight images elicited dissatisfaction and increased occipitotemporal activations across all participants. However, no difference was found between the groups. Furthermore, the MDD and HC groups showed increased activations in the prefrontal cortex and insula in response to underweight images compared to their original counterparts, whereas the AN group exhibited increased activations in the parietal cortex, cingulate gyrus and parahippocampal cortex in response to the same stimuli.

Body Image dalam Video Klip LOONA "Butterfly"

Mass media builds the construction of women's body images. Women's beauty is judged by certain indicators, including slim bodies, fair skin, and straight hair. The unrealistic body image displayed by the mass media has a negative impact on the audience, especially female adolescents. Meanwhile, LOONA's “Butterfly” music video defy beauty standards. Adolescent fans tend to internalize the values ​​that exist in the figure of the idol. This study aims to explain the reception of LOONA's teenage fans for aspects of body image in LOONA's "Butterfly" music video. The theory used in this study is reception analysis. This research was conducted qualitatively through in-depth interviews with female adolescent fans of LOONA. The results of the study show that the position of reception of LOONA's adolescent fans on aspects of body image in LOONA's "Butterfly" music video is dominated by a dominant position. The reception of LOONA's adolescent fans is influenced by the frameworks of knowledge, relations of production, and technical infrastructure.

Psychometric properties and factorial invariance of bias scale trait version in engineering and health sciences university students

Beauty and thinness standards of come from a cultural idea that even today is considered esthetic; being physically perfect has become one of the main objectives in developed societies, a goal imposed by new models of life, in which the aspect of body image is associated with wellbeing and seems to be the only valid synonym of success and happiness. However, negative body image has serious consequences for health behaviors and is associated with low self-esteem, depression, social anxiety and contributes to the development and maintenance of body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders. In this context, the present instrumental study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of BIAS (Body Image Anxiety Scale) testing, trait version, in engineering and health sciences students, evaluating in the students anxiety about body parts that correspond, on the one hand with physical beauty, for example: lips, forehead, chin; and on the other hand, those related to body weight, such as: abdomen, thighs, hips, among others. The total sample consisted of 1081 participants; 568 engineering students (142 women and 426 man) and 513 health sciences students (201 women and 311 man), with a mean age of 18.16 years (SD = 0.73) and 18.21 years (SD = 0.72) respectively, the sample was obtained through convenience sampling. The instrument was applied through a computerized application using the instrument administrator module of scales editor, version 2.0 in a session of approximately 25 minutes in the computer labs corresponding to each participating academic unit. The confirmatory factorial analysis showed that a bi-factorial structure is feasible and convenient for both populations (engineering and health sciences) according to the established psychometric requirements when the informants were the same students. Furthermore, the factorial structure, factorial loads and the intercepts are considered invariant in the engineering and health sciences areas; however, there are differences in the mean of both factors among the two populations.

Madrasa Education and Muslim Women: Negotiating Modest Dressing

This study presents an ethnographic account of the lives of young Muslim women who underwent Islamic religious education in madrasa. It examines their body-image narratives. It focuses on how the socialisation at madrasa has shaped their image of themselves concerning bodily comportment, piety and modesty. It highlights different social actors from family, madrasa and media shape the image of these women. Accounts of six madrasa graduates who have studied Islamic theology for at least five years are examined. It focuses on Muslim women’s practice of purdah, keeping in mind cultural relativism and the perspective of the women who wear it. It unravels their everyday choice construction regarding the perceptions and practices of adorning their bodies with and within the burqa. The study is based in New Delhi, India. It finds that purdah for the respondents represents piety and completes their being. The embracing of fashion, trends, makeup and other aspects of body image varies in individual degrees, with a shared understanding of doing it within the framework of modesty, as interpreted by them. They present a picture of being agents of their own within their domain of life, living and being.

European health professionals’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about perinatal depression and body image concerns

ABSTRACT Objective Health professionals who work with women in pregnancy and postpartum are rarely educated in psychosocial aspects of body image and mental health, despite this being a time of significant bodily change for women. This study presents the results of a needs assessment to determine the extent, nature, and format of health professional education in relation to body image and perinatal mental health. Method Participants were N = 257 health professionals (89% female) from 16 European countries, recruited through the authors professional networks, who completed an online survey about their existing knowledge and experience, and preferences for further education. Results Current knowledge about body image was low, and open-ended comments indicated that body image was integrated into pregnancy and postpartum care within the context of encouraging weight loss. Health professionals saw opportunities for the inclusion of conversations about body image and mental health within their clinical care and a need for training about ‘what to say’ to mothers, as well as recommendations for diagnostic and referral pathways, and more general information about postpartum body image and mental health that could inform their practice. Discussion This research indicates the need for health professional education in relation to perinatal body image and mental health.

Body image and autism: A scoping review

BackgroundAccumulating research has broadened our understanding of body image across novel populations, and attention is turning towards exploring how autistic individuals experience their body. However, to date, there has been no synthesis of the body image and autism literature. This scoping review provides an overview of the emerging literature which focuses on body image and autism. MethodsPubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, and APA PsychInfo were searched using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A total of n = 8 studies (3 cross-sectional, 1 experimental, 4 qualitative) met the inclusion criteria. These were examined to identify what is known from original empirical research, theoretical standpoints, and experiential perspectives. ResultsOverall, findings suggest there is a significant relationship between indices of negative body image (e.g., body dissatisfaction) and autistic traits. This review also suggests that autistic individuals experience both negative and positive aspects of body image, informed by autism-specific factors such as differences in social communication, information processing, and sensory sensitivities. The extant research is, however, limited to either neurotypical samples or autistic individuals in clinical contexts (e.g., eating disorders, weight management). ConclusionThis review identifies a paucity of robust research investigating body image and autism. Future research is encouraged to investigate the construct of body image in the actual autistic population more comprehensively, as doing so holds important implications for research and research-informed practice.

Functionality appreciation is inversely associated with positive psychotic symptoms in overweight/obese patients with schizophrenia

BackgroundWhile the relationship between negative aspects of body image and positive schizophrenia symptoms was extensively investigated and is relatively well-established, there is a dearth of literature on the relationship between positive symptoms and positive aspects of body image, such as body appreciation and functionality appreciation, in patients with schizophrenia. This study aimed to (1) compare weight stigma, body and functionality appreciation between obese/overweight and normal-weight patients with schizophrenia, and (2) explore the associations between these variables and positive psychotic symptoms in the obese/overweight group.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted in the Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Lebanon during September 2022 recruiting selected in-patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Patients were classified as overweight/obese if they had a BMI > 25 (N = 76 (37.25%), aged 55.57 ± 11.30 years, 42.6% females). The Weight self‑stigma questionnaire, the Functionality Appreciation Scale, and the Body Appreciation Scale, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used.ResultsNo significant difference was found between overweight/obese and normal-weight patients for all variables, except for weight stigma; a significantly higher weight stigma score was significantly found in overweight/obese compared to normal-weight patient. In the bivariate analysis, higher functionality appreciation was significantly associated with higher positive PANSS scores. The results of the linear regression, taking the positive PANSS score as the dependent variable, showed that higher functionality appreciation (Beta = − 0.52) and higher social support (Beta = − 0.16) were significantly associated with lower positive PANSS scores, whereas having a secondary education level compared to illiteracy (Beta = 7.00) was significantly associated with higher positive PANSS scores.ConclusionAlthough based on cross-sectional data, these findings preliminarily suggest that higher functionality appreciation can help reduce the severity of positive psychotic symptoms in overweight/obese schizophrenia patients, and that interventions aimed at improving functionality appreciation could be regarded beneficial therapeutic targets in the treatment of psychosis.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Contextual Body Image Questionnaire for Athletes for young physically active Polish adults.

Individuals who are not professional and competitive athletes but who engage in regular (even daily) physical activity may experience a different body image in the context of physical activity compared with that in everyday life. The Contextual Body Image Questionnaire for Athletes (CBIQA) has been developed to assess aspects of body image within these two dimensions, but has not yet been validated in the Polish population. This study aimed to conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the CBIQA for physically active Polish adults. The study sample comprised 90 young Polish adults (49 women and 41 men). All respondents regularly participated in recreational sports. The average age of the sample was 21.4 years. All participants engaged in physical activity at least 3 times per week. The average training experience was 8.6 years. A 3-phase study was conducted: 1) translation of the CBIQA for use in a Polish sample, 2) pretesting and cognitive debriefing, and 3) evaluation of the test-retest reliability. The test-retest interval was 7 days. Interclass correlation coefficients were calculated. The 1-week test- retest results (ICC) ranged from 0.83-0.94 in the daily life subscales and from 0.86-0.95 in the athletic subscales among all participants. The reliability of the CBIQA was high. The alpha value for the internal consistency of the translated and adapted instrument was 0.91. After the translation and cognitive interview, 3 sentences were reworded to adapt the instrument to Polish culture. The CBIQA exhibited a high tes-retest reliability and good validity for assessing daily and physical activity-related body image in a Polish population.

Unexcused absence from physical education in elementary school. On the role of autonomous motivation and body image factors

Physical education (PE) is an essential school subject due to its potential to promote well-being and health in all children. Yet, PE stands out among other subjects in terms of truancy. This study is one of the first to examine if unexcused absence from PE is associated with early adolescents' body image and autonomous motivation towards PE. A total of 526 Swedish 6th graders (Mage = 12.28, SD = 0.31) reported the frequency of unexcused absence from PE and answered questions about aesthetic and functional body image, social physique anxiety, and autonomous motivation. Findings showed that unexcused absence from PE was associated with less autonomous motivation and higher social physique anxiety. Participants who had never been absent reported higher functional body image investment and satisfaction. Analyses showed that whereas the aesthetic aspects of body image were associated with decreased autonomous motivation toward PE, functional aspects predicted higher autonomous motivation. The study sheds novel light on the links between absence from PE, body image, and autonomous motivation. As absence may have real-life practical effects for school achievement, health, and well-being, the findings demonstrate the importance of mitigating social physique anxiety and promoting an inclusive and body positive PE context early on.

Body Uneasiness and Dissatisfaction Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Persons

IntroductionWhile sexual minority people have been widely considered at risk for developing a range of body image concerns, evidence of body dissatisfaction and shame amongst LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) individuals is mixed. This study investigated differences in body uneasiness, body dissatisfaction, and self-blaming/attacking attitudes between LGB and heterosexual individuals, as well as within LGB groups, while also examining the predictive role of body mass index (BMI).MethodsA sample of cisgender lesbian women (n = 163), gay men (n = 277), bisexual women (n = 135), bisexual men (n = 39), heterosexual women (n = 398), and heterosexual men (n = 219) completed an online survey assessing different aspects of body image between May and July 2020.ResultsGay and bisexual men reported greater body image disturbance and self-blaming attitudes relative to heterosexual men. In contrast, lesbian women reported lower body uneasiness than their bisexual and heterosexual counterparts, but greater self-hate. Moreover, lesbian and bisexual women showed more body dissatisfaction than gay men, and bisexual individuals reported more body uneasiness than individuals in other sexual minority subgroups. Higher BMI emerged as a significant predictor of body image concerns and dissatisfaction.ConclusionsBody image dimensions showed sexual identity–based differences. Determining the specific nuances of body image in LGB individuals can provide important information on potential risk factors that may impact mental health outcomes.Policy ImplicationsIn-depth knowledge of body dissatisfaction and uneasiness in individuals with LGB identities may have critical implications for the development of personalized prevention and treatment strategies.

Happiness with Circumcision Status, Not Status Itself, Predicts Genital Self-Image in a Geographically Diverse Sample.

Research exploring the impact of penile circumcision on aspects of body image is scarce and few studies have considered the potential roles of attitudinal factors toward one's own circumcision status. The purpose of the present study was to assess the potential relationship between one's circumcision status, happiness with circumcision status, genital self-image, and sexual functioning. The present study also examined how happiness with circumcision status varied across geographic regions. A total of 205 participants (102 circumcised, 103 not circumcised) completed a study through online recruitment methods. Participants reported being born in the United States (n = 80), Canada (n = 23), and various countries within Latin America (n = 22), Europe (n = 49), Asia (n = 13), Africa (n = 11), and Oceania (n = 7). Participants who were not circumcised reported significantly greater happiness with their circumcision status than participants who were circumcised. However, genital self-image, sexual body image, and sexual functioning did not significantly differ by circumcision status. Instead, participants who reported being happier with their circumcision status reported better genital self-image and less body exposure avoidance during sex, but sexual function did not differ by happiness. Although researchers hypothesized that happiness with circumcision status would depend on whether one fits in with the majority circumcision status within their region of origin, results did not support this. Participants who were circumcised tended to have less happiness with their circumcision status than non-circumcised participants regardless of region of birth. These findings support a small body of the literature which suggests that the psychosexual impact of penile circumcision may rely more on attitudinal factors toward circumcision status than actual circumcision status.

A brief online writing intervention improves positive body image in adults living with dermatological conditions.

Dermatological conditions can affect how individuals feel about their bodies. This research therefore seeks to evaluate the potential for a brief writing intervention, focused on body functionality, to improve body image in adults living with a range of dermatological conditions. As part of a parallel Randomised Controlled Trial, 451 adults living with a dermatological condition were randomized to either three functionality-based writing tasks or three creative writing tasks (control). Of these, 155 participants completed pre- and post-intervention measures of body appreciation, functionality appreciation, appearance anxiety, skin-related shame, and skin-related quality-of-life. For participants with relatively low or mid-range scores on baseline body appreciation and functionality appreciation, there were medium-to-large positive effects of the intervention. Effects were smaller, with all but-one remaining significant, at 1-month follow up and in intention-to-treat analyses. No between-group effects of the intervention were found for measures of appearance anxiety, skin-related shame, and skin-related quality-of-life. These findings suggest that a 1-week writing intervention has the potential to improve positive aspects of body image, but not appearance- and skin-related distress in adults living with a dermatological condition. [https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/history/NCT044459 74?V_3=View], identifier [NCT04445974].