The Relationship between negative affect, stress and body image in adolescent girls

ENConcerns about body image dissatisfaction have become a global phenomenon. This quantitative study examined the differences of body image satisfaction in adolescent girls with regard to stress and negative affect. The sample comprised 80 adolescents from Kaunas gymnasium (mean age = 15.57 years). The respondents completed the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, Negative Affect Scale (PANAS-X) and Reeder Stress Inventory. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22. The main aim of our study was to test the different aspects of body image in Lithuanian adolescent girls with regard to stress and negative affect. The results of this study showed that participants with higher stress were more dissatisfied with their body areas and less satisfied with their appearance compared to those who reported feeling less stressed. Girls with a higher negative affect were more dissatisfied with their body areas, tended to invest less in their appearance and also thought they weighed more; furthermore, they were more concerned with their weight and, in general, were less satisfied with their appearance. The results of the present study demonstrated that in addition to examining negative affect, it is also important to investigate other emotional components, which could be related to body image dissatisfaction, such as perceived stress. It may be beneficial to consider these two risk factors while improving body image dissatisfaction prevention. Keywords: Stress, Negative self-image, adolescent girl.