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Jang and Lee: Body Image Dissatisfaction as a Mediator of the Association between BMI, Self-esteem and Mental Health in Early Adolescents: A Multiple-group Path Analysis across Gender
Original Article
Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing

Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing 2013; 43(2): 165-175.

Published online: 30 April 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2013.43.2.165

Body Image Dissatisfaction as a Mediator of the Association between BMI, Self-esteem and Mental Health in Early Adolescents: A Multiple-group Path Analysis across Gender

Mi Heui Jang1, Gyungjoo Lee2

1College of Nursing Science and East-West Nursing Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.

2College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Address reprint requests to: Jang, Mi Heui. College of Nursing Science and East-West Nursing Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, #1, Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Korea. Tel: +82-2-961-0592, Fax: +82-2-961-9398, mhjang@khu.ac.kr

Received 16 February 2012       Accepted 31 July 2012

© 2013 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Abstract

Purpose

This study was done to examine not only the relationships between body mass index (BMI), self-esteem, body image dissatisfaction (BID) and mental health, according to gender, but the mediating role of BID on mental health in relation to BMI and self-esteem among early adolescents.

Methods

Data from 576 (296 boys and 280 girls) elementary school students in grades 5 to 6 were collected. A multiple-group path analysis was utilized to examine the relationships between BMI, self-esteem, BID and mental health by gender.

Results

In the path analysis for all students, poor mental health was related directly to BID, while it was indirectly related to BMI and self-esteem. In the multiple-group path analysis of both genders, BID was found to have a significant direct and indirect effect on mental health for girls alone.

Conclusion

The findings suggested that BID should be examined early to prevent poor mental health in early adolescent girls. This study helps to elucidate the role of early adolescent BID on mental health and provides insight for further prevention and intervention programs in school and community mental health settings.

Keywords: Body image, Mental health, Body mass index, Self-esteem, Adolescent

Figures and Tables

Figure 1
Hypothesized model for this study.
jkan-43-165-g001
Figure 2
Path model for all students (A) and Multiple-groups path model for boys (B) and girls (C) with the standardized coefficients.
jkan-43-165-g002
Table 1
Correlations, Means and Standard Deviations for Measured Variables in the Two Groups
jkan-43-165-i001

Correlations above the diagonal are for boys (n=296); Those below the diagonal are for girls (n=280); Means and standard deviations in the vertical columns are for boys those in the horizontal rows are for girls; BMI=Body mass index; SE=Self-esteem; BID=Body image dissatisfaction; MH=Mental health; SOM=Somatization; OC=Obsessive-compulsive; IS=Interpersonal sensitivity; DEP=Depression; ANX=Anxiety; HOS=Hostility; *p<.05; **p<.01.

Table 2
Goodness-of-fit Statistics for the Path Models of All Students and Multiple-groups (boys and girls)
jkan-43-165-i002
Table 3
Maximum-likelihood Estimates of Standardized Path Coefficients Mediating Effect of Body Image Dissatisfaction in Path Model for All Students and Multiple-group Path Model by Gender
jkan-43-165-i003

SMC=Squared multiple correlations; BMI=Body mass index.

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