Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T08:00:35.639Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Body Image and Subjective Well-Being in Portuguese Adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2013

António Borges ,
Margarida Gaspar de Matos  and
José Alves Diniz
António Borges*
Affiliation:
Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal)
Margarida Gaspar de Matos
Affiliation:
Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal)
José Alves Diniz
Affiliation:
Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Antonio Borges. Projecto Aventura Social, Estrada da Costa, Cruz Quebrada, 1499 Lisboa codex (Portugal). E-mail: aventurasocial@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The study examines the impact of body image in adolescents’ well-being. Well-being was assessed with the scale Kidscreen10, with the Cantril ladder for satisfaction with life and with an ad hoc happiness scale. The study presents data on adolescent health from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC)/World Health Organization study in Portugal (2006), with a sample of 4,877 adolescents, average age of 14 years old and gender distribution at 49,6% males. Portuguese adolescents showed differences between gender and age group regarding their body image-related satisfaction/dissatisfaction and self-perceived body image, being that both components have a direct impact on the levels of well-being. The male gender has better results in the perception of body image and, consequently, well-being. The largest inter-gender differences for well-being is at 15 years of age. The main predictors of well-being are the look and body satisfaction/dissatisfaction, with greater importance on the affective component. This research highlights the importance of body image for adolescents’ well-being, as well as to prepare educational strategies adapted to adolescents’ age and gender, by helping them to develop skills concerning self-knowledge and caring for their look.

Keywords

adolescencelookself-perceived bodybody dissatisfactionsubjective well-being
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E17
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bergeron, D., & Tylka, T. L. (2007). Support for the uniqueness of body dissatisfaction from drive for muscularity among men. Body Image, 4, 288–295. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2007.05.002 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bisegger, C., Cloetta, B., von Rüden, U., Abel, T., Ravens-Sieberer, U., & The European KIDSCREEN Group (2005). Health-related quality of life: Gender differences in childhood and adolescence. Sozial- und Präventivmedizin, 50, 281–291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00038-005-4094-2 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Borges, A., Matos, M., & Diniz, J. (2011). Processo adolescente e saúde positiva: Âmbitos afectivo e cognitivo. [The adolescent process and positive health: affective and cognitive domains]. Psicologia Reflexão e Crítica, 24(2), 1–11.Google Scholar
Cantril, H. (1965). The pattern of human concerns. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.Google Scholar
Currie, C., Nic Gabhainn, S., Godeau, E., Roberts, C. Smith, R., Currie, D., … Barnekow, V. (2008). Inequalities in young people’s health: Health behavior in school-aged children (HBSC). International report from the 2005/2006 survey. Copenhagen, Denmark: WHO Regional Office for Europe. Google Scholar
Currie, C., Samdal, O., Boyce, W., & Smith, R. (2001). HBSC, and WHO cross national study: research protocol for the 2001/2002 survey. Copenhagen, Denmark: WHO.Google Scholar
De la Serna, I. (2004). Alteraciones de la imagen corporal: Anorexia, vigorexia, bulimia, dismorfofobia y cuadros relacionados. [Changes in body image: anorexia, vigorexia, bulimia and dismorphophobia]. Monografías de Psiquiatría, 2(16), 32–40.Google Scholar
Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Lucas, R. (2003). Personality, culture, and subjective well-being: Emotional and cognitive evaluations of life. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 403–425. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.54.101601.145056 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eisenberg, M. E., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Story, M. (2003). Associations of weight-based teasing and emotional well-being among adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 157, 733–738. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.157.8.733 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Esnaola, I., & Rodríguez, A. (2009). La imagen corporal y el autoconcepto físico [Body image and physical self-concept]. In Goñi Granmontagne, A. (Coord.), El autoconcepto físico: Psicología y educación [Physical self-concept: Psychology and education]. (pp. 193–205). Madrid, Spain: Ediciones Pirámide.Google Scholar
Fuentetaja, A. M. L., & Masó, A. C. (2007). Adolescencia: Limites imprecisos. [Adolescence: imprecise boundaries]. Madrid, Spain: Alianza Editorial.Google Scholar
King, R. A. (2002). Adolescence. In Lewis, M.(Dir.), Child and adolescent psychiatry. A comprehensive textbook (3 rd ed.) (pp. 332–242). Filadelfia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.Google Scholar
Matos, M., Simões, C., Tomé, G., Gaspar, T., Camacho, I., Diniz, J., & Equipa do Projecto Aventura Social (2007). A saúde dos adolescentes portugueses hoje e em oito anos. [The health of portuguese adolescents: today and in the last 8 years]. Lisbon, Portugal: CMDT/IHMT/UNL e FMH/UTL.Google Scholar
Maroco, J. (2007). Análise estatística. Com utilização do SPSS [Statistical analysis using SPSS] (3 rd ed.). Lisbon, Portugal: Sílabo.Google Scholar
Rajmil, L., Alonso, J., Berra, S., Ravens-Sieberer, U., Gosch, A., Simeoni, M-C., … The Kidscreen Group. (2006). Use of a children questionnaire of health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN) as a measure of needs for health care services. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38, 511–518. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.05.022 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richardson, L. P., Garrison, M. M., Drangsholt, M., Lloyd, M., & Linda, R. (2006). Associations between depressive symptoms and obesity during puberty. General Hospital Psychiatry, 28, 313–320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2006.03.007 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberts, C., Currie, C., Samdal, O., Currie, D., Smith, R., & Maes, L. (2007). Measuring the health behaviors of adolescents through cross-national survey research: recent developments in the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study. Journal Public Health. 15, 179–186. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10389-007-0100-x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodríguez, A. (2009). Bienestar psicológico y autoconcepto físico [Psyhcological well-being and physical self-concept]. In Goñi-Granmontagne, A. (Coord.), El atoconcepto físico: Psicología y educación [Physical self-concept: Psychology and education] (pp. 193–205). Madrid, Spain: Ediciones Pirámide.Google Scholar
Trallero, J. (2010). El Adolescente en su mundo. Riesgos, problemas y trastornos. [The adolescent and his world: risks, problems and disorders]. Madrid, Spain: Ediciones Pirámide.Google Scholar