University of Twente Student Theses
The Relation Between Body Image, Self-Esteem and Substance Abuse : a Cross-Sectional Study
Majer, Alicja (2024) The Relation Between Body Image, Self-Esteem and Substance Abuse : a Cross-Sectional Study.
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| Abstract: | Background: Substance abuse is a significant public health issue, and understanding its underlying factors is crucial for effective prevention and intervention. While previous studies have explored the relationships between substance abuse, body image, and self-esteem, there's a notable gap in understanding these connections among adults, particularly regarding gender differences. Most existing research focuses on adolescents, leaving a void in the literature. This study seeks to address this gap by investigating these associations within an adult population. Objective: This research aims to investigate how body image, self-esteem, and gender influence substance abuse among adults. Specifically, it seeks to understand the relationship between these factors and identify any moderating effects, such as negative body image and gender, on the likelihood of engaging in substance abuse. Methods: A sample of 179 participants recruited from social media platforms participated in the study, including 91 females, 87 males, and 1 non-binary individual, with ages ranging from 18 to 59 (M = 28.07, SD = 7.45). Data were collected through self-report questionnaires assessing body image, self-esteem, and substance abuse behaviors. The analysis employed multiple regression to investigate the direct associations between body image, self-esteem, and substance abuse behaviours. Additionally, a moderation analysis using the MedMod module was conducted to explore whether gender moderated the relationships between self-esteem and substance abuse, as well as between body image and substance abuse. Results: Body Image and Substance Abuse: A significant negative relationship was found between body image satisfaction (BISS) and substance abuse (DAST). Self-Esteem and Substance Abuse: Self-esteem (RSES) demonstrated a significant negative association with substance abuse. Interaction Effect: The combined model including both body image and self-esteem explained 56% of the variance in substance abuse. Both body image and self-esteem were significant predictors, and the study revealed a significant positive interaction effect, indicating that lower levels of body image satisfaction and self-esteem are associated with heightened tendencies toward substance abuse. Moreover, the combined impact of low body image satisfaction and low self-esteem was found to amplify their influence on substance abuse tendencies. In essence, the findings suggest that the coexistence of diminished body image satisfaction and self-esteem exacerbates the risk of engaging in substance abuse behaviours. Gender Effects: Moderation analysis revealed that gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between body image satisfaction and substance abuse, nor between self-esteem and substance abuse. However, an intriguing trend emerged, indicating that females displayed a slightly heightened vulnerability to substance abuse when influenced by negative body image and lower self-esteem compared to males. Conclusion: This study discloses meaningful correlations among body image satisfaction, self-esteem, and substance abuse in adults. While gender did not exhibit a significant moderating effect on these relationships, females demonstrated a slightly heightened susceptibility to substance abuse when influenced by poorer body image and lower self-esteem compared to males. These findings emphasize the importance of tailored interventions targeting substance abuse, considering gender-specific vulnerabilities and the role of body image and self-esteem. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/98736 |
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