Body image and self-esteem in Norwegian women

Objective The objective of this study is to investigate factors that affect the perception of physical appearance among Norwegian women. Attitude toward one�s own body can be divided in two parts: Body image orientation (cognitive/behavioral) is defined as how important one�s appearance is and Body image evaluation (affective) refers to the degree of satisfaction with own appearance (Cash, 1990). It is also hypothesized that evaluation of physical appearance will be closely connected to general self-esteem among women. Methods A random sample of n = 2,000 was drawn from all Norwegian women aged 22 to 55 years. The respondents received a questionnaire about cosmetic surgery, body image and several other psychological variables. Three subscales from the Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire (Cash, 1990), containing body image orientation, body image evaluation and body area satisfaction were used in the analyses. Self-esteem was measured by using The Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965). Besides sociodemographic variables, the effect of BMI (Body Mass Index) and the degree of teasing about physical appearance as a child/teenager were used in the models. Results The response rate was 46 % (907 persons responded). Twenty-three percent had a negative body image evaluation. The respondents were most dissatisfied with their tummy and weight and most satisfied with their shoulders and hair. The body image evaluation got more positive with increased age and education, but there were no such differences in body image orientation. A linear multiple regression analysis was conducted with body image evaluation as the dependent variable. BMI and teasing were the most important predictors besides age and education. Body image orientation was not related to body image evaluation. In a final analysis self-esteem was introduced as the dependant variable. All the variables, except age, predicted self-esteem independently of body image evaluation, although the Beta�s were low. The best predictor was Body image evaluation (Beta= .49, p