Body Image Dissatisfaction in Adolescents from Rural Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32444/IJSW.2018.79.3.309-326

Body image concerns of adolescents in rural India have rarely been studied, especially those of adolescent boys. The aim of the study was to compare body image dissatisfaction among adolescent boys and girls in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. The relationships between various interpersonal and social factors and body image dissatisfaction among the adolescents were also explored in the study. Convenience sampling was used to select a sample of 314 adolescents. Exploratory factor analyses were done to create subscales within the measure. Overall, body dissatisfaction was significantly higher among the males (M = 69.33, SD = 9.33) than the females (M = 65.05, SD = 10.79); t (312) = 3.74, p < .001. Regression analyses indicated that a significant amount of variance in body esteem and dissatisfaction was predicted by parent/peer criticism.