Friendship quality, body dissatisfaction, dieting and disordered eating in adolescent girls.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined relationships between adolescent girls' body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, quality of same-sex peer relationships and beliefs about thinness in interpersonal relationships, before and after controlling for depression.


METHODS
Correlations between body image, eating and friendship variables were examined before and after controlling for depressive symptoms. Top and bottom quartiles on symptom variables were identified and analyses of variance, with and without depressive symptoms entered as a covariate, were used to compare scores between groups on friendship variables.


METHODS
Grade 10 girls (N=324) completed self-report questionnaires.


RESULTS
Consistent relationships were observed between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, and negative friendship qualities (friend alienation, friend conflict), but not positive friendship qualities (friend communication, friend trust and peer acceptance). The strength of relationships with negative friendship qualities was reduced when depressive symptoms were taken into account. High and low symptom groups differed on perceived friend concern with weight and advantages of thinness in interpersonal relationships before and after controlling for depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest the importance of addressing negative aspects of peer relationships, social anxieties and beliefs about the importance of thinness in the peer environment as well as depressive symptoms, in interventions for body dissatisfaction and eating problems.
Schutz
Helen K
HK
School of Behavioural Science, University of Melbourne, Australia.
Paxton
Susan J
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology; D003469:Culture; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010379:Peer Group; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012918:Social Alienation; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology