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Relationships Between Family Connectedness and Body Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Girls and Boys

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Abstract

The present study examined the longitudinal links between perceptions of family connectedness and body satisfaction in 1,774 (52% female) adolescents. Participants (10–15 years of age at Time 1) completed self-report measures at three measurement occasions separated by 1 year each. Mean group difference results showed that both body satisfaction levels and perceived levels of family connectedness decreased over 2 years for the whole sample. As expected, girls were generally less satisfied with their bodies than boys, particularly in the older cohort. Structural equation modelling was used to assess stability coefficients and cross-lagged effects, and longitudinal bidirectional effects between perceptions of family connectedness and body satisfaction were found for girls, but not for boys. This result suggests that adolescent girls’ body satisfaction is both affected by and a predictor of perceived family connectedness.

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Acknowledgments

Appreciation is expressed to the schools, families, and youth who have participated in the Youth Connectedness Study, to the research team who have gathered the data, and the Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology who has funded the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Roy McKenzie Centre for the Study of Families, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand

    Carla Crespo, Magdalena Kielpikowski, Paul E. Jose & Jan Pryor

Authors
  1. Carla Crespo
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  2. Magdalena Kielpikowski
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  3. Paul E. Jose
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  4. Jan Pryor
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Correspondence to Carla Crespo.

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Crespo, C., Kielpikowski, M., Jose, P.E. et al. Relationships Between Family Connectedness and Body Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Girls and Boys. J Youth Adolescence 39, 1392–1401 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9433-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9433-9

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