Abstract
This study evaluated a positive body image program, Free To Be, for adolescent girls and boys. Participants were Canadian and primarily South Asian and were part of either the intervention (n = 76) or comparison groups (n = 43). Participants completed pretest and posttest questionnaires. The Group x Gender x Time interactions examining the study’s outcomes were not significant; however, post hoc analyses suggested promising results. Specifically, members of the intervention group experienced a significant increase in body image coping strategies and media literacy from Time 1 to Time 2, with boys benefiting the most. Members of both the intervention and comparison groups experienced a significant decrease in body dissatisfaction from Time 1 to Time 2. Boys in the intervention group experienced a greater decrease in body dissatisfaction, whereas both girls and boys in the comparison group reported a decrease in body dissatisfaction. Positive body image did not improve in either group. Limitations and implications are discussed.
| Translated title of the contribution | Piloting Free To Be: A Positive Body Image Program for Adolescents ψ |
|---|---|
| Original language | French |
| Pages (from-to) | 774-800 |
| Number of pages | 27 |
| Journal | Counseling Psychologist |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study received funding from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Education Graduate Student Research Grant.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2020.
Keywords
- body dissatisfaction
- positive psychology
- prevention