The relationship between stress, negative affect and body image dissatisfaction in adolescents girls

Abstract

In recent decades, concerns about body image and dissatisfaction with it, especially significant increase in adolescents (Mousa, Mashal, Al-Domi HA, Jibril MA, 2010). According to studies, concerns about body image dissatisfaction has become a global phenomenon (Swami, Smith, 2012). Different studies (Philips, de Man, 2010; Weaver Byers, 2006) suggests that differences in body image satisfaction depends on many different factors. Negative affect have also been implicated in the development of body image dissatisfaction (Taylor, Cooper, 1992). However some prospective studies have found that negative affect did not predict body dissatisfaction for adolescent girls (Stice, Whitenton, 2002). Also only few studies (Murray, Byrne, Rieger, 2011) investigated the role of adolescent stress in body image dissatisfaction. The aim of the study was to determine differences of body image satisfaction in adolescents girls with regard to stress and negative affect. The respondents were 80 adolescents from Kaunas city, who were enrolled in grades 8 and 10 (mean age =15.57 years;). Respondents completed the The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), PANAS- X Negative Affect scale and Reeder Stress inventory. The results of this study showed that participants with higher stress were more dissatisfied with their body areas compared to those who reported feeling less stressed. Girls with higher negative affect were more dissatisfied with their body areas, tend to invest less in their appearance, they also think they look more fat, are more concerned with their weight and in general are less satisfied with their appearance. The result of the present study demonstrate that as well as examining negative affect, it is also important to investigate other emotional components, which could be related to body image dissatisfaction, such as perceived stress.