What characterizes early adolescents with a positive body image? A qualitative investigation of Swedish girls and boys

An Investigation of Body Appreciation, Ethnic Identity, and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Black Women

Positive body image, such as body appreciation or acceptance, has gone largely unexamined in women of color in comparison with more pathological body attitudes. In an effort to promote and extend positive body image research, this study examined the reliability and validity of the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS) in Black college women, as well as the relation between ethnic identity and body appreciation. Participants were 228 Black college women ( M age = 19.89, SD = 4.57). The relation between BAS scores and measures of appearance evaluation, self-esteem, Western beauty ideal internalization, eating disordered behavior, and teasing was examined to investigate convergent and divergent validity. Results supported the construct validity of this measure. Similar to previous research, a confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional factor structure. Ethnic identity was moderately, positively associated with body appreciation. Western beauty ideal internalization mediated the relation between ethnic identity and eating, weight, and shape concerns. Overall, findings support the use of the BAS with Black college women.

Body appreciation in adult women: relationships with age and body satisfaction

The major aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of age on positive body image (operationalized as body appreciation) across the female lifespan. A secondary aim was to examine the effect of age on the relationship between positive body image and body satisfaction. Participants were 158 women aged between 18 and 75 years who completed questionnaire measures of body appreciation and body dissatisfaction-satisfaction. A significant positive linear relationship was found between age and body appreciation; that is, older women had higher levels of body appreciation than their younger counterparts. Although body appreciation was positively correlated with body dissatisfaction-satisfaction across all age groups, the association was weaker for older women. The results contribute to a richer picture of women's body image across the lifespan, as well as confirming positive body image as something beyond the mere absence of body dissatisfaction.

Body-related pride in young adults: an exploration of the triggers, contexts, outcomes and attributions

This study explored body-related emotional experiences of pride in young adult males (n=138) and females (n=165). Data were collected using a relived emotion task and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Thirty-nine codes were identified and grouped into six categories (triggers, contexts, cognitive attributions, and affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes) for each of two themes (hubristic and authentic pride). Hubristic pride triggers included evaluating appearance/fitness as superior. Cognitions centered on feelings of superiority. Behaviors included strategies to show off. Triggers for authentic pride were personal improvements/maintenance in appearance and meeting or exceeding goals. Feeling accomplished was a cognitive outcome, and physical activity was a behavioral strategy. Contexts for the experience of both facets of pride primarily involved sports settings, swimming/beach, and clothes shopping. These findings provide theoretical support for models of pride as it applies to body image, and advances conceptual understanding of positive body image.

Perceived relationship with God fosters positive body image in college women

Positive body image is defined as healthy body-related attitudes that go beyond the absence of distressful symptoms. A warm and secure relationship with an important other person has been linked with attitudes of acceptance and appreciation toward one's body as well as adaptive eating patterns. This study tested whether a warm and secure relationship with God was similarly related to positive body image. Undergraduate women completed self-report measures of religiosity, life satisfaction, body appreciation, body acceptance by others, functional orientation, and intuitive eating. Multiple regression analyses showed that relationship with God contributed variance to most of the well-being variables.

"I bet they aren't that perfect in reality:" Appearance ideals viewed from the perspective of adolescents with a positive body image

In this qualitative study, we examined the topic of appearance ideals from the perspective of 14-year-old adolescents (N=29) with a positive body image. A thematic analysis revealed that the adolescents with a positive body image were very critical against current ideals, describing them as unnatural and unrealistic, and criticizing media for only showing those consistent with the ideals and having underlying intentions with doing so. Instead, the adolescents defined beauty widely and flexibly, stressed the importance of looking like 'oneself', and conveyed the idea of personality as outplaying looks. The perception of beauty as subjective was also prominent. These results may be helpful when forming preventions targeting those at risk for developing negative body image, adding support for preventions based on media literacy and feminist theories. Additionally, we stress the significance of providing adolescents with alternative ways of thinking about ideals, beauty, and attractiveness.

Body image satisfaction among Norwegian adolescents and young adults: a longitudinal study of the influence of interpersonal relationships and BMI

This study used a latent growth curve modeling approach to examine body image satisfaction in 1132 Norwegian adolescent and adult males and females measured at six times between ages 13 and 30. An additional model examined the long term influence of parent-child relationship, peer relationship (both relationships assessed at age 13), and BMI (measured at each interval) to the patterns of change. The results showed a linear growth in body image satisfaction through adolescence followed by a stabilizing of the latent curve in adulthood for both genders. There were gender and developmental variations in the relative contributions of parents and peers for the slope and quadratic growth and in the contribution of BMI to body image satisfaction. When controlling for BMI, initial parent-child relationships and peer relationship predicted the variance in slope growth for males. Parent-child relationship predicted quadratic growth for males. Among females, only initial peer relationships predicted linear growth. No effect was found for quadratic growth. BMI had an additional negative effect on body image satisfaction during adulthood.

Interpersonal and intrapersonal links to body appreciation in college women: an exploratory model

Based on theory and findings from qualitative and quantitative research, we developed and investigated a model of positive body image. This model placed body appreciation in a mediating role, linking interpersonal (caregiver eating messages, adult attachment) and intrapersonal (perfectionism) variables to intuitive eating and depressive symptoms. Path analysis supported our model for 249 college women. Restrictive/critical caregiver eating messages, attachment anxiety, and discrepancy (maladaptive) perfectionism inversely predicted body appreciation, while order (adaptive) perfectionism positively predicted body appreciation. In turn, body appreciation positively predicted intuitive eating but not depressive symptoms. Body appreciation was upheld as a mediator: discrepancy perfectionism, attachment anxiety, and restrictive/critical caregiver eating messages inversely predicted intuitive eating largely through their negative connection with body appreciation. These findings underscore the importance of women's internalized messages about eating, weight, and relationships to their capacity to appreciate their body and respect it by eating according to its internal hunger/satiety cues.

A qualitative examination of body image threats using Social Self-Preservation Theory

This study sought to identify and describe comfortable and uncomfortable body-related situations of young women, as well as describe their responses to such situations and strategies they used to cope with body-related threats, using Social Self-Preservation Theory (SSPT) as a guiding framework. Interviews were conducted with college women (N=23). A theoretical thematic analysis approach was taken to identify, code, and report themes. In general, participants found it difficult to identify specific comfortable situations and responses in those situations. Comfortable situations were characterized by the presence of supportive others and feelings of general calmness and lowered body awareness or self-presentational concerns. Findings regarding uncomfortable body-related situations indicated that the context (e.g., presence of others, body exposure), responses (e.g., embarrassment, inadequacy, awareness of others' evaluations, faster heart rate), and coping strategies (e.g., avoidance, concealing behaviors) described by participants were consistent with SSPT.

Body image and cystic fibrosis: a critical review

A slight frame and poor appetite are common among patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) yet healthy body weight has been related to a better prognosis. A review of studies exploring body image (BI) among adults and adolescents with CF was conducted. Seven electronic databases were searched for potential papers. They located 128 references, of which 24 were read in full and 12 included in the review. Accepted papers suggested females with CF had a better BI compared to males, but this could compromise survival, given their preference for a low body weight. Males may be more motivated to adhere to nutritional advice because they favor a larger form. Practitioners should broach the topic of BI at clinic appointments to ensure this does not have a detrimental impact on self-management, although more research is required to guide professionals in this task.