ارتباط بین فشار اجتماعی فرهنگی با نارضایتی از بدن و لاغری در دختران نوجوان

This study investigates the relationships among sociocultural pressures to be thin, internalisation of the thin ideal, social comparison, body mass index, and body dissatisfaction in young girls. One hundred and fifty-three 10–13 year old girls completed measures assessing sociocultural pressure to be thin, media exposure, body dissatisfaction, social comparison, and internalisation of the thin ideal. Although sociocultural factors, as a group, were significantly associated with internalisation of the thin ideal, perceived media pressure was the only sociocultural influence uniquely related to internalisation of the thin ideal. Perceived pressure to be thin delivered by the media was found to be associated with body dissatisfaction via internalisation of the thin ideal. The relationship between internalisation of the thin ideal and body dissatisfaction was also partially influenced by social comparison. Body mass was found to have a direct association with body dissatisfaction. A model incorporating the relationships among media pressure, internalisation of the thin ideal, social comparison, and body dissatisfaction is proposed.

While increasing rates of obesity in the general population have been noted, and some weight control behaviours are considered healthy, many women who are within the normal weight range still express dissatisfaction with some aspect of their body shape or weight Brownell, 1991 and Huon, 1994. Indeed, the term normative discontent has been used to describe the pervasiveness of body image concerns among women in our society (Rodin, Silberstein, & Striegel-Moore, 1985). In recent times, this preoccupation with body image has extended downwards from adult and adolescent women to prepubescent girls with approximately 39% of Australian girls aged between 8 and 12 years reporting significant levels of body dissatisfaction Kelly et al., 1999 and Rolland et al., 1997. Unfortunately, girls who report high levels of body dissatisfaction also engage in unhealthy weight loss behaviours such as restricting food intake, purging, and over-exercising behaviours that have a number of detrimental health effects including retarded growth and delayed puberty (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2001). Therefore, further research on risk factors associated with body dissatisfaction in preadolescent girls is critical to inform future prevention and treatment programs.