The relationship between friendship factors and adolescent girls' body image concern, body dissatisfaction, and restrained eating

✍ Scribed by Gerner, Bibi ;Wilson, Peter H.

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 98 KB
• Volume: 37
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0276-3478
• DOI: 10.1002/eat.20094

✦ Synopsis

Objective:

This study examined whether poorer friendship relations predict weight concerns and dietary restraint in adolescent girls.

Method:

Questionnaires were administered to 131 year 9 and year 10 girls to assess the relationship between acceptance by friends, perceived social support, friendship intimacy, and perceived impact of thinness on male (pitof-m) and female (pitof-f) friendships on the one hand, and body image concern, body dissatisfaction, and restrained eating on the other.

Results:

Friendship variables contributed significantly to the prediction of body image concern, body dissatisfaction, and restrained eating. the largest unique contribution to prediction was from the pitof-m. poor acceptance by friends significantly predicted the pitof-m and pitof-f. whereas heavier girls were more likely to believe being thinner would improve their friendships, they did not experience poorer friendships.

Discussion:

Results suggest sociocultural risk factors for disordered eating and underline the importance of perceived peer affiliation on girls' body image concern and dieting.