title: Sex differences in the relationships between body dissatisfaction, quality of life and psychological distress.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body dissatisfaction is associated with impairment in women's quality of life (QoL). To date, research has not examined the relationship between body dissatisfaction and men's QoL, or sex differences in this relationship.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community sample of 966 males and 1,031 females living in Australia provided information about their body dissatisfaction, mental health and physical health-related QoL, and eating disorder symptoms. Data were analysed using three hierarchical multiple regressions and interactions between body dissatisfaction and sex were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both sexes, increasing levels of body dissatisfaction were associated with poorer mental and physical health-related QoL and greater psychological distress. The adverse associations between body dissatisfaction and mental health-related QoL, and between body dissatisfaction and psychological distress, were more pronounced for males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High levels of body dissatisfaction may threaten the psychological and physical wellbeing of both men and women. Body dissatisfaction appears to be a public health problem, distinct from the eating disorders and other adverse psychological phenomena for which body dissatisfaction is commonly discussed as a risk factor. Males, historically understudied and underrepresented in body image research, warrant increased empirical attention.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Sydney, New South Wales.|School of Psychology, University of Queensland.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Phillipa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, New South Wales.|Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitchison
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, New South Wales.|Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mond
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Victoria.
authors.forename: Siân A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.affiliation: School of Sociology, Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Victoria.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Victoria.
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Paxton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: body image; gender; quality of life; sex differences