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Updated: Sep 15, 2025

Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
Sociocultural pressures and appearance ideal internalization: Their impact on body dissatisfaction in Brazilian
Camila Carla Souza do Prado1, Maria Cláudia Bernardes Spexoto1, Wanderson Roberto da Silva2,3
1Postgraduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
Objective:
To analyze the relationship between internalization of appearance ideals, sociocultural pressures, and body dissatisfaction among Brazilian adults.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, between January and December 2023. Using convenience sampling, data were collected from 290 adults (18-64 years old; median age = 24.0, IQR25 = 21.0, and IQR75 = 34.0; 69.3 % female) through an online self-report questionnaire. The dependent variables included socioeconomic, demographic, and anthropometric data. Sociocultural pressures and the internalization of appearance ideals were measured using the SATAQ-4, with body dissatisfaction as the independent variable. Statistical analyses involved non-parametric tests (Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn's post hoc tests) and Spearman's correlation, with a significance level set at p < .05.
Results:
Body dissatisfaction was 84.5 % prevalent. Dissatisfaction related to excess weight was associated with pressure from family (p < .001), friends (p = .001), the media (p < .001), and internalization of the thin ideal (p < .001). The median ideal athletic/muscular body was significantly higher in males than in females (p = .015), while median media pressure was higher in females compared to males (p = .001).
Conclusions:
The study highlights the role of sociocultural pressures and appearance ideals in body dissatisfaction, supporting the Tripartite Influence Model.
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