Journal of

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Background and Aim: The cosmetic surgery is one of the prevalent phenomenons in recent decades. Body image is a key factor for interest in cosmetic surgery, but body image is a multidimensional concept and all its dimensions should be studied. This study aimed to study cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions of body image in women interested in cosmetic surgery.

Methods: This study was a cross-sectional research with causal-comparative method. A sample of 600 female students, age 18 to 35 years, were selected from universities in Tehran by using multi-stage cluster random sampling methid, who completed a set of questionnaires including “Beliefs About Appearance Scale (BAAS)“, “Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS)“, “the Body Image Coping Strategies Inventory (BICSI)“ and Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS). The collected data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).

Results: The students who were interested in cosmetic surgery got a higher score in components of body investment as cognitive dimension and body dissatisfaction as emotional dimension. Among the three behavioral components of body image, there was significant difference only in appearance fixing coping (P<0.0001) and there were no significant differences in acceptance and avoidant strategies between students.

Conclusion: All of the cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions of body image are important in cosmetic surgery, and women interested in cosmetic surgery not only had body dissatisfaction, but also had dysfunctional attitudes about appearance important in interpersonal relationships, personal achievement and self-concept, and used strategies based on body modification. These findings can be used in prevention and intervention programs.

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Background and Aim: The adolescence is one of the phases that adolescents experience significant physical changes during it, these change can causes the changes in body image especially in girls but body image is a psychological phenomenon that be powerfully affected by sociocultural factors. So, it is necessary to study body image in cultural context. The present study aimed to investigate the role of the sociocultural pressures and mediators mechanisms in the development of dissatisfaction among Iranian Adolescent Girls.

Methods: A sample of 250 adolescent girls, ages 15 to 18, were selected from Karaj city by using multi-stage cluster random sampling and responded a set of questionnaires including "The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale-4 (SATAQ-4)", "Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R)" and "Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS)". The collected data analyzed using Lisrel and was used path analysis method.

Results: The results of the path analysis indicated that the paths of media and peer pressure on internalization had significant coefficients but the path of parent pressure was not significant. Also, the mechanisms of the appearance compare and internalization mediate the relationship of sociocultural pressures and body dissatisfaction.

Conclusion: The results indicate sociocultural perspective can predict the development of dissatisfaction among Iranian Adolescent Girls based on sociocultural pressures and their mediator mechanisms.