The Relationship between Body Appreciation and Health Behaviors among Women and Adolescent Girls: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Literature on body image and health behaviors has largely been pathology-based, investigating body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Body appreciation is a useful construct of positive body image and has been used to understand its relationship with health behaviors beyond eating. This scoping review explores the literature on the relationship between body appreciation and physical health-promoting behaviors and health-compromising behaviors. A comprehensive search of databases was conducted to gather correlational studies written in English between January 2005 and November 2019. Behaviors related to eating and exercise were excluded. Nine quantitative studies met inclusion criteria. Evidence suggests an overall positive relationship between body appreciation and health-promoting behaviors, including preventive sexual health behaviors, preventive cancer behaviors, and seeking medical attention. Alternatively, body appreciation is negatively associated with health-compromising behaviors including risky sexual activity and alcohol and tobacco use. Promoting positive body image, above and beyond the reduction of body dissatisfaction, may play a crucial role in the health and well-being of women and girls. Research that examines positive body image in groups that are racially diverse and include sexual and gender minorities and people without healthcare access is urgently needed.

The Role of Body Appreciation in the Decision to Complete Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Among Ethnically Diverse Patients

“…Body appreciation is a potential factor in MBS completion among ethnic groups, as cultural attitudes, beliefs, and traditions about obesity, body size, and shape vary among ethnic minority groups compared to NHWs [39]. Body appreciation is an aspect of positive body image that indicates one's acceptance and respect for one's body while rejecting unrealistic body ideals [50]. As it predicts indices of well-being, body appreciation has been associated with engagement in more positive eating, exercise, and health behaviors [50].…”

“…Body appreciation is an aspect of positive body image that indicates one's acceptance and respect for one's body while rejecting unrealistic body ideals [50]. As it predicts indices of well-being, body appreciation has been associated with engagement in more positive eating, exercise, and health behaviors [50]. Body appreciation is also protective against various psychiatric pathologies, including depression, anxiety, and disordered eating behaviors [51].…”

The impact of sexual scripts in brand‐generated cannabis social media posts on sex‐related cannabis expectancies: Does body appreciation moderate effects?

“…Body appreciation is negatively associated with substance use, including alcohol and tobacco [24], although we did not identify work specifically related to body appreciation and cannabis. Body appreciation is positively associated, however, with sexual health outcomes, including contraceptive use [25, 26] and comfort communicating with a current partner about sex [27].…”

Relationship between eating disorders perception and psychosocial profile in school-dropout adolescents

“…Especially in adolescence, self-esteem is related to body image, more properly to body appreciation, considered a mediating factor for EDs. Body appreciation is a psychophysical construct that, when positive, is relates to healthy eating behaviour and good social relations, while is negatively associated with dysfunctional behaviors such as alcohol and drug use [ 17 ]. This gives insight into the complexity of EDs, but at the same time opens up the need to assess how EDs are associated with different health-related variables, not only the more purely physical ones, but above all those of an emotional and social nature.…”