Relationship Between Body Dissatisfaction and Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction has become an increasingly important public health concern because of its association with adverse psychological outcomes among young adults. The present study examined the relationship between body dissatisfaction and anxiety and investigated the mediating role of self-esteem among Pakistani university students. A quantitative, cross-sectional correlational research design was employed. Data were collected from 200 undergraduate and postgraduate university students using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. Body dissatisfaction was assessed using the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation, and mediation analysis following the Baron and Kenny approach with bootstrapped confidence intervals were performed to examine the study hypotheses. The findings indicated that all measurement instruments demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative association between self-esteem and anxiety, whereas body dissatisfaction was positively associated with self-esteem. The direct relationship between body dissatisfaction and anxiety was positive but not statistically significant. However, mediation analysis demonstrated that self-esteem significantly influenced the relationship between body dissatisfaction and anxiety, indicating an inconsistent mediation (suppression) model. These findings suggest that self-esteem represents an important psychological factor in understanding how body dissatisfaction is associated with anxiety among university students. The study contributes to the growing literature on body image and psychological well-being by providing empirical evidence from a Pakistani context. The findings further suggest that interventions aimed at strengthening self-esteem may help reduce the psychological consequences associated with body dissatisfaction and promote better mental health among university students. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and more representative sampling methods to further investigate these relationships