HEALTHMED, cilt.6, sa.10, ss.3307-3315, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
The aim of the present study was to find the predictors and prevalence of body image dissatisfaction (BID) among adolescent girls in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. A sample of 945 adolescent girls aged 12-16 years old was recruited from public and private schools in Ankara. The participants completed measures regarding their self-esteem, depressive symptoms, attitudes to eating and weight teasing, as well as body shape questionnaires. Approximately 20.2% of the participants displayed BID in which abnormal eating behaviours, BMI and weight teasing were positive predictors of BID. In addition, the negative effects of media pressure and the perceived pressure to be thin from parents, peers and dating partners predicted an increase in body dissatisfaction. However, in contrast to other research, this study indicated that age, depression and self-esteem do not predict an increase in body dissatisfaction.