https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105319887796
Journal of Health Psychology
1–10
© The Author(s) 2019
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DOI: 10.1177/1359105319887796
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Introduction
A high prevalence of body image dissatisfaction
has been observed in adolescents of both gen-
ders and from different countries, such as Brazil
(Claumann et al., 2019), Portugal (Coelho et al.,
2016), Thailand (Chongwatpol and Gate, 2016)
and Iran (Garrusi and Baneshi, 2017). In gen-
eral, there are several factors that may contribute
to body image dissatisfaction in individuals of
different age groups, such as biological, psycho-
logical and sociocultural factors (Cash and
Smolak, 2011).
Particularly in adolescence, there is a major
contribution of sociocultural factors to body
image dissatisfaction, which include social
influences and interpersonal interactions. Among
these, the characteristics of events between
groups of friends and colleagues, such as appear-
ance-related teasing and perceived pressures
from friends to attain a thin body (Webb and
Zimmer-Gembeck, 2014) with low body fat or to
attain a muscular body, in conjunction with the
internalization of these appearance ideals, are
Body image dissatisfaction in
adolescents: Comparison with
physical activity, teasing and
social support
Isadora Gonzaga
1
, Gaia Salvador Claumann
1
,
Karoline Sousa Scarabelot
1
, Diego Augusto Santos Silva
2
and Andreia Pelegrini
1
Abstract
This study aimed to compare the adolescents’ body dissatisfaction with physical activity, teasing during
physical activity and social support. Participants were 938 Brazilian adolescents aged 15–19 years. Study
variables were investigated through questionnaires. There was no difference in body dissatisfaction among
adolescents who practiced and did not practice physical activity, but among the former, those who had been
teased had greater body dissatisfaction. Also, adolescents who had a relative or friend to talk, in addition to
giving and receiving affection, more frequently, presented lower body dissatisfaction. Stratifying the sample
by gender, the results were similar in females but were not significant in males.
Keywords
adolescence, body image, social support, students, teasing
1
Santa Catarina State University, Brazil
2
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Corresponding author:
Gaia Salvador Claumann, Department of Physical
Education, Health and Sports Sciences Center, Santa
Catarina State University, 88080-350, Florianópolis, Brazil.
Email: gaiasclaumann@hotmail.com
887796HPQ 0 0 10.1177/1359105319887796Journal of Health PsychologyGonzaga et al.
research-article 2019
Article