Emotional pattern and body perception: cross-sectional study on risk factors for health management in young women

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate the adherence of girls and young adults to socio-cultural beauty models measuring the emotional patterns and behavioral attitudes of self-body management. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 2163 Italian women between the ages of 15 and 25 (M=22.2, SD=2.11) distributed by Body Mass Index (BMI), measuring Body Satisfaction and Behaviour. RESULTS: A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted to examine differences in body satisfaction variables according to BMI and age showed significant effect of BMI group (p=0.001), but there was no effect of age group or an interaction; however significant differences have been evidenced in emotional pattern (p<0.001) and body management (p<0.007), as well as in the overall score for body satisfaction and behaviour (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that skinny girls feel positively about their weight and shape even if they did not manage to take care of their body adequately. Italian girls prioritize social acceptance rather their own wellness and lifestyle quality. Adherence to the thinness model is a strong risk factor that affects the perceived well-being of girls and young women, regardless of age.