Pubertal Health Group Counseling Based on Problem-Solving, for Body Image Concerns and Anxiety in Adolescent Girls

Body image concerns often arise during puberty. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of pubertal health group counseling based on problem-solving for body image concerns and anxiety in adolescent girls.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 100 adolescent female students in Babol City during 2022-2023. The intervention group participated in weekly 90-min problem-solving group counseling on puberty health for 6 weeks. Data collection utilized socio-demographic questionnaires, Littleton's Body Image Concern Inventory, and the Zung Anxiety Scale.

The mean difference in reduced body image concerns and anxiety before, immediately after, and 6 weeks post-study in the problem-solving consulting group was statistically significant (p < 0.005), unlike the control group. In the intervention group, the mean differences in body image concern were -21.40 (95% CI = -17.91 to -24.89) before to immediately, and -18.76 (95% CI = -15.07 to -22.44) before to 6 weeks later (p < 0.001). The average anxiety differences for these intervals were -9.68 (95% CI  = -6.83 to -12.52) and -8.52 (95% CI  = -6.06 to -19.97) in the intervention group (p < 0.001). The ANCOVA test results indicated a difference in body image concern and anxiety scores between the two groups after the study, accounting for baseline values with a reduction observed in the counseling group (p < 0.001). The effect sizes of body image concern and anxiety were 0.56 and 0.41, respectively.

The findings demonstrate that problem-solving group counseling effectively reduces body image concerns and anxiety in adolescent girls. Policymakers can leverage this research for health planning in counseling for this demographic.

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: (IRCT20180218038783N3).