Social physique anxiety and physical self-esteem: gender and age effects

Psychol Health. 2010 Jan;25(1):89-110. doi: 10.1080/08870440903160990.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test the generalisability of the factor pattern, structural parameters, factor correlations and latent mean structure of social physique anxiety and physical self-esteem across gender, age and gender x age. The social physique anxiety scale and general physical self-esteem scale from the physical self-perception profile was administered to high school and university students aged 11-24 years (N = 2334). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the adequacy of a two-factor correlated model in the full sample, and separately by gender, age and gender x age sub-samples. The CFA model satisfied criteria for goodness-of-fit with the data in all sub-samples, the only exception was for females aged 21 and over. Tests of invariance of the factor pattern, structural parameters and correlations across age, gender and age x gender revealed few decrements in goodness-of-fit. Latent means analysis revealed that females had consistently higher levels of social physique anxiety and lower levels of physical self-esteem than males, with the exception of the 11-12 age group. Results extend previous findings that females tend to report higher levels of social physique anxiety and lower levels of physical self-esteem than males by demonstrating that these differences are consistent across age group.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anxiety
  • Body Image*
  • Child
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Male
  • Self Concept*
  • United Kingdom
  • Young Adult