Influence of Body Mass Index, Perceived Media Pressure, and Peer Criticism/Teasing on Adolescent Girls' Body Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction and Clothing-Related Behaviors

The present study investigated the relative importance of Body Mass Index (BMI), perceived media pressure, and peer criticism/teasing for body satisfaction/dissatisfaction of female adolescents and their clothing-related behaviors. This study also examined the influence of body satisfaction/dissatisfaction on clothing-related behaviors. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 320 high school girls living in a southeastern part of the United States. The data analysis consisted of exploratory factor analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and bivariate and multiple regression analyses. When examining the relative importance of the three variables on adolescent girls' body satisfaction, BMI was found to be the least important factor. When entered into the regression equation alone, BMI was found to be a significant determinant of body satisfaction/dissatisfaction. However, when it was entered into the regression equation with perceived media pressure and peer criticism/teasing, BMI was not a significant factor. The results showed that perceived media pressure and peer criticism/teasing have significant negative influences on adolescent girls' body satisfaction. The results further indicated that perceived pressure from media affects both self-enhancing and body-concealing clothing-related behaviors. The results also revealed that peer criticism/teasing is a critical determinant of Body-Concealing Behavior. BMI, however, do not demonstrate significant influence on either self-enhancing or body-concealing behaviors. A significant positive relationship was found between body satisfaction and self-enhancing behaviors, whereas a significant negative relationship was found between body satisfaction and body-concealing behaviors.