Relationships Between Men's and Women's Body Image and Their Psychological, Social, and Sexual Functioning

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Relationships Between Body Image and Psychological, Social, and Sexual Functioning

Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted in order to determine which aspects of body image most strongly predicted each psychological (i.e., self-esteem, depression, anxiety), social (i.e., same-sex relations, opposite-sex relations, social anxiety), and sexual functioning (i.e., sexual self-efficacy, sexual optimism, sexual satisfaction) variable. Separate analyses were conducted for men and women in each age group, as it was considered likely that the relationships would vary with both gender and age. In order to reduce the large number of independent body image variables for inclusion in each analysis, only those variables that significantly correlated with the dependent variable for each group were entered into the analysis. It was decided to control for the effects of self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and BMI, if they correlated significantly with the dependent variable. In addition, perceived relations with the other sex were considered as a potential control variable in analyses to predict sexual functioning. Control variables were entered as independent variables on the first step of each analysis, and body image variables were included as additional independent variables on the second step. The level of significance is typically corrected when there are a high number of contrasts. However, given the exploratory nature of these analyses, it was decided to consider effects significant at an alpha less than .05.

Results indicated that inclusion of body image variables at the second step significantly increased the prediction of self-esteem beyond that predicted by control variables among men in early adulthood, F change (5, 55) = 2.88, p < .05, middle adulthood, F change (4, 50) = 5.36, p < .001, and late adulthood, F change (4, 59) = 4.66, p < .01. The unique body image predictors of high self-esteem were positive ratings of physical attractiveness and a low rating of body image importance among men in early adulthood, a low level of body concealment among men in middle adulthood, and a low tendency to compare their appearance with others and high body image satisfaction among men in late adulthood (see Table III). Body image variables also significantly increased the prediction of self-esteem among women in early adulthood, F change (3, 50) = 4.60, p < .01, middle adulthood, F change (6, 84) = 5.41, p < .001, and late adulthood, F change (3, 56) = 4.37, p < .01. Although there were no unique body image predictors of self-esteem for women in early adulthood, low social physique anxiety and a low rating of body image importance predicted self-esteem among women in middle adulthood, and positive ratings of physical attractiveness predicted high self-esteem among women in late adulthood.

Inclusion of body image variables failed significantly to increase the prediction of depression or anxiety beyond the effect of control variables among most groups. However, body image variables entered at the second step significantly increased the prediction of depression among women in late adulthood, F change (4, 46) = 4.57, p < .01; high social physique anxiety acted as a unique body image predictor (see Table III). Body image variables entered at the second step significantly increased the prediction of anxiety among men in late adulthood, F change (2, 62) = 6.65, p < .01; a high level of appearance comparison acted as a unique body image predictor. For the predictor of anxiety among women in late adulthood, F change (4, 56) = 4.16, p < .01, although no specific body image predictor was found to explain unique variance.

Body image variables significantly increased the prediction of social anxiety at the second step, beyond the effect of control variables, among men in middle adulthood, F change (2, 52) = 4.54, p < .05; the unique body image predictor was a high level of appearance comparison (see Table IV). Inclusion of body image variables did not significantly increase the prediction of social anxiety among men in early or late adulthood, beyond the effect of control variables. Among women, inclusion of body image variables significantly increased the prediction of social anxiety during late adulthood, F change (6, 51) = 3.63, p < .01, but not at other ages. The unique body image predictors of social anxiety among women in late adulthood were high social physique anxiety and a high level of body improvement.

Inclusion of body image variables, entered as a group at the second step, did not significantly increase the prediction of same-sex relations among men in early or late adulthood, or among women of any age group, beyond the effect of control variables. However, a significant increase in the prediction of same-sex relations was found among men in middle adulthood, F change (5, 49) = 2.61, p < .05. Positive same-sex relations were uniquely predicted by positive ratings of physical attractiveness among this group (see Table IV). Inclusion of body image variables at this step significantly increased the prediction of positive cross-sex relations among men in young adulthood, F change (2, 57) = 4.17, p < .05; a low level of body concealment acted as a unique body image predictor, but did not increase the prediction of cross-sex relations beyond the effect of control variables among any other group.

Inclusion of body image variables, entered as a group at the second step, did not significantly increase the prediction of sexual self-efficacy or sexual satisfaction among women in any age group, or among men in early or late adulthood, beyond the effect of control variables. Among men in middle adulthood, however, inclusion of body image variables significantly increased the prediction of sexual self-efficacy, F change (5, 46) = 3.69, p < .01, and sexual satisfaction, F change (4, 49) = 6.27, p < .001; high body image satisfaction acted as the unique body image variable in both instances (see Table IV). A low tendency to compare their appearance to that of others and a low level of body concealment also predicted sexual satisfaction.

The group of body image variables, entered at the second step, did not significantly increase the prediction of sexual optimism among men or women in early or late adulthood beyond the effect of control variables. Inclusion of body image variables significantly increased the prediction of sexual optimism among men in middle adulthood, however, F change (4, 48) = 6.69, p < .001; low social physique anxiety acted as a unique body image predictor (see Table IV). Although body image variables increased the prediction of sexual optimism as a group among women in middle adulthood, F change (6, 81) = 2.72, p < .05, there were no unique body image predictors.

DISCUSSION

In the present study we considered a number of aspects of body image among men and women across different stages of adulthood. Body image concerns were generally found to be more prevalent among women than men; women reported lower satisfaction with their bodies and a greater tendency to conceal their bodies. Women appeared to be more focused on the social aspects of body image; they compared their appearance to that of others more frequently than men did, and they reported higher levels of social physique anxiety, which indicates that they were more concerned about others evaluating their appearance negatively. However, there were no gender differences in ratings of physical attractiveness or the perceived importance of appearance in the lives of men and women, and men were just as likely as women to report engaging in efforts to improve their bodies.

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Body image concerns were relatively consistent throughout adulthood, which supports previous indications of the high prevalence of body image concerns among individuals beyond their college-aged years (Allaz, Bernstein, Rouget, Archinard, & Morabia, 1998; Ben-Tovim & Walker, 1994; Pliner, Chaiken, & Flett, 1990). There were some developmental trends, however, as men and women in their 30s and 40s were more vulnerable than other groups to dissatisfaction with their bodies and engaged in more attempts to conceal their bodies, for example, with nonrevealing clothing. This highlights the importance of attending to body image among adults beyond early adulthood, which is typically considered the most vulnerable period for body image disturbance. A developmental shift was also apparent in later years, most particularly in relation to the social aspects of body image. Although men and women over 50 years of age tended to make evaluations of their own appearance that were just as negative as those of younger participants, and did not perceive their appearance to be any less important than younger participants did, they reported less concern about others evaluating their bodies, and they were less likely to compare their appearance with that of others.

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