(Dis)Satisfaction with the body image among 13-14-year-old students of Lithuanian schools

ENThe article focused on the evaluation of Lithuanian adolescents' (dis)satisfaction with their body image by performing self-evaluation of their body image components through their body parts. Due to major physical, social, emotional, and moral ongoing changes, adolescents’ physical appearance becomes one of the top concerns. Dissatisfaction with physical appearance among girls is often reflected in a desire to be thinner, while among boys – a desire to be taller, become more muscular and have a nice body shape. However, there is a gap in research analyzing dissatisfaction with the body parts among adolescents. The aim of this research was to evaluate 13-14-year-old Students of Lithuanian Schools (dis)satisfaction with their body image by performing a selfevaluation of their body image components through their body parts. A 40-question authorial questionnaire was developed to measure (dis)satisfaction with one's body parts and validated in a representative sample. The sample consisted of 1,347 13-14-year-old students. As established, (dis)satisfaction with one's body parts was related to gender: the satisfaction of boys and girls with the image of their bodies differed (p = 0,000). Adolescents were more unsatisfied with the body parts that depended on an individual's phenotype (in the lower area – with buttocks, hips, legs, thighs, and calves; in the middle area – with abdomen and waist; in the upper area – with shoulders, arms and chest), and they were more satisfied with individual morphological characteristics of the body (facial skin, feet, cheeks, ears, hair, chin, lips, eyes, neck), depending on an individual's genotype. The boys' satisfaction with their body parts among 13-14-year-old students was higher than that of the girls. Keywords: body image, students, schools, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, physical appearance. [From the publication]

• Edukacinis eksperimentas / Liudmila Rupšienė, Aušra Rutkienė. Klaipėda : Klaipėdos universiteto leidykla, 2016. 207 p.
• Kūno vaizdo objektyvacija ir formavimasis ankstyvojoje paauglystėje : disertacija / Sigita Derkintienė. Klaipėda : Klaipėdos universiteto leidykla, 2015. 154 p.
• Mokslinių tyrimų metodologija ir metodai : (edukologija ir kiti socialiniai mokslai) / Kęstutis Kardelis. Šiauliai : Lucilijus, 2005. 398 p.
• Paauglių dorovinių vertybių raiška ir plėtotė olimpinio ugdymo pagrindu : disertacija / Asta Budreikaitė. Klaipėda, 2011. 207 p.
• Paauglių požiūris į savo kūną ir edukacinės programos poveikis jo koregavimui : disertacija / Simona Pajaujienė. Kaunas, 2012. 210 lap.
• Požiūrio į savo kūną sąsajos su asmenybės savybėmis ir subjektyvia gyvenimo kokybe : disertacija / Audronė Miškinytė. Vilnius, 2011. 130 p.
• Savikontrolės gebėjimų ugdymo kūno kultūros pamokų metu įtaka jaunesniojo mokyklinio amžiaus vaikų fiziniams gebėjimams : disertacija / Vytė Kontautienė. Klaipėda : Klaipėdos universiteto leidykla, 2015. 139 p. +.
• Vyresnių klasių merginų požiūris į savo kūną ir jo ugdymo galimybės : disertacija / Rasa Jankauskienė. Kaunas, 2001. 139 lap.