Examining body dissatisfaction in young men within a biopsychosocial framework

Body Image. 2008 Jun;5(2):183-94. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2007.12.004. Epub 2008 May 6.

Abstract

This study examined biopsychosocial factors related to body dissatisfaction in young men within multivariate and moderator contexts. A female sample was included as a gender comparison. Male (n=111) and female (n=236) undergraduates filled out self-report questionnaires assessing body mass index (BMI), media influence, a history of weight-related teasing, and socially prescribed perfectionism, along with various indices of body dissatisfaction. Perceived pressure from the media was consistently related to body dissatisfaction in men whereas multiple biopsychosocial variables accounted for body dissatisfaction in women. Socially prescribed perfectionism and a history of weight teasing each moderated the relationship between BMI and male body dissatisfaction, identifying men low in body dissatisfaction. Findings indicate that applying a biopsychosocial framework to the study of body dissatisfaction in men is useful and suggest the need for including other factors, such as male peers and sports involvement, in understanding contributors to male body image.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Body Image*
  • Body Mass Index
  • Female
  • Gender Identity*
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control
  • Male
  • Mass Media
  • Personal Satisfaction*
  • Self Concept
  • Social Conformity
  • Social Values*
  • Somatotypes
  • Students / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires