L’objectif principal de cette étude est d’explorer les relations entre les influences socioculturelles médiatiques et l’insatisfaction corporelle chez les étudiantes à l’université.

L’échantillon est composé de 625 jeunes femmes dont l’âge moyen est de 20,37±2,35ans. Les participantes ont été recrutées dans différentes filières universitaires du Nord de la France et ont répondu à deux questionnaires : le Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ, évaluant l’insatisfaction corporelle) et le Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3, évaluant les influences socioculturelles médiatiques par rapport à l’apparence comprenant quatre sous-échelles : Internalisation générale, Internalisation athlète, Pressions et Information).

Les quatre sous-échelles du SATAQ-3 sont corrélées positivement entre elles (0,37 à 0,84) et avec l’insatisfaction corporelle (0,21 à 0,33). Aucune corrélation n’a été retrouvée entre l’indice de masse corporelle et le SATAQ-3. Les analyses de variance ont permis de mettre en évidence un effet des niveaux de scores au BSQ sur les scores des sous-échelles du SATAQ-3. Il apparaît que le modèle regroupant l’Internalisation générale et l’Information est celui qui contribue à expliquer la part de la variance la plus importante de l’insatisfaction corporelle chez les étudiantes.

Nos résultats mettent en évidence les relations entre les influences médiatiques et l’insatisfaction corporelle. Ceux-ci paraissent intéressants en termes de prévention et de traitement des troubles de l’image du corps chez les étudiantes.

Body dissatisfaction can be considered as one of the most important issues regarding body image disorders because it encompasses perceptual, cognitive, affective, and behavioral elements. Some Anglo-Saxon prevention programs use a cognitive behavioral model (CBT) to help improve body image and to eliminate inappropriate eating strategies or some types of eating disorders. Although a number of factors contribute to the development and maintenance of body image disorders, the media is considered one of the most powerful and influential means of propagating sociocultural values regarding appearance. Prevention programs often use cognitive dissonance theory, which focuses specifically on media influence and obsession with the ‘perfect body’. The objective of these programs is to reduce body dissatisfaction through lessening the impact of socio-cultural pressure and to increase feelings of resilience for individuals confronted with this pressure. Studies in France on socio-cultural influences are less numerous compared to the number of studies carried out in other countries, such as the US.

The objective of the present study is to explore the existing relationships between media influences and body dissatisfaction in French university students.

A sample of 625 students, with an average age of 20.37±2,35, completed two self-report questionnaires: the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), which evaluates body dissatisfaction, specifically concerns about body and weight, as well as the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3), which explores media influences based on four sub-scales (General Internalization, Athletic Internalization, Pressure, and Information). Additional information concerning age, height and weight was also sampled. The students were recruited in different departments of the university, based on a voluntary desire to participate. The study assured anonymous and confidential responses.

Correlation analyses were performed showing significant and positive correlations between the four subscales of the SATAQ-3 (0.37 to 0.84), with the highest correlation between Information and General Internalization. The four subscales were also positively correlated to body dissatisfaction as measured by the BSQ (0.16 à 0.33), the strongest correlation being between with General Internalization. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly correlated with body dissatisfaction (0.21). Analyses of variance revealed an effect of BSQ scores on the subscales of the SATAQ-3. Significant differences were found between the four groups on all the subscales of the SATAQ-3. Post-hoc Scheffé tests revealed that participants with minor, moderate, and extreme preoccupations score much higher on the SATAQ-3 subscales of General Internalization and Pressions, in comparison with participants showing no body preoccupation. Participants demonstrating minor and moderate preoccupations showed significantly higher scores on the Athletic Internalization subscale, in comparison to participants with no preoccupation. Compared to participants showing no preoccupation, those demonstrating moderate preoccupation reported significantly higher scores on the Information subscale. No significant difference was found between the four SATAQ-3 subscales and the three groups demonstrating different levels of body preoccupation. Regression analyses revealed that a model combining General Internalization and Information explained the most variance in body dissatisfaction (14.7%).

As previous studies have shown, the results underline the influence of the media and body dissatisfaction in French students. This university population would be considered ‘at risk’ for body image disorders and eating disorders given the stressful period of life that confronts them. The implications of these results could have a significant impact on the development of prevention and treatment strategies for body image and eating disorders in this specific population of French students.