Award Winner
Most Informative
Document Type
Research Paper
Abstract
Body dissatisfaction and weight loss attempts are increasingly common among adolescents. Many factors have been found to be related to body image issues, including, gender, media, parental relationship, puberty status. It was hypothesized that popularity would also be related to body satisfaction, distortion and esteem. One hundred sixteen 10th and 12th grade students from a rural high school in Northeast Iowa were surveyed. Popularity ratings were tallied from class mates and participants completed a body satisfaction and esteem scale. Body distortion was obtained by comparing teacher's response to student's response. Significant gender differences were found in body satisfaction, distortion and esteem. There was no relationship found between popularity and distortion and body esteem, however females who were satisfied with their body were also rated as the most popular in the class. Popularity and body image were not related for males. Popularity is an important influence on body image for adolescent girls, with unpopular girls being the most at risk for body dissatisfaction.
Publication Date
1998
Journal Title
Conference Proceedings: Undergraduate Social Science Research Conference
Volume
2
Issue
1
First Page
127
Last Page
135
Copyright
©1998 by the University of Northern Iowa
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Publisher
University of Northern Iowa
City
Cedar Falls, IA
Recommended Citation
Graham, Melody A.; Eich, Carla; Kephart, Becky; and Peterson, Dawn
(1998)
"The Relationship Between Body Image, Gender and Popularity in High School Students,"
Conference Proceedings: Undergraduate Social Science Research Conference: Vol. 2:
Iss.
1, Article 19.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/csbsproceedings/vol2/iss1/19
