1. Introduction
Self-esteem is considered one of the principal predictors of good results in adolescence, with implications for areas like interpersonal relations and academic performance [1]. Self-esteem can be defined as a positive or negative attitude to oneself [2]. Positive self-esteem reduces the susceptibility of adolescents to body dissatisfaction (BD) [3]. Low self-esteem is related to feelings of uselessness and failure, which can make adolescents more susceptible to dissatisfaction with their weight, physical appearance and body shape [4]. There are various specific sources of self-esteem, one of which is appearance [5]. Adolescence is a period of changes, development and establishing an identity, with a constant focus on external physical appearance [6]. In adolescence, a variety of social and corporal changes occur during and after puberty, which can have a strong impact on the individual’s body image and become more pronounced at the end of adolescence [7]. Body image refers to a multidimensional construct which includes perception, emotion, feelings and thoughts directed towards one’s own body [8]. BD is also related to dissatisfaction with one’s weight, appearance and body shape. Its prevalence among adolescents is 30–40% [4]; this percentage can vary up or down depending on sex or the population studied. Ganesan et al. [9] carried out a study with 1200 female students in the region of Coimbatore, India, in which they observed that 77.6% of the students presented some level of BD. Fortes et al. [4] carried out a study in female Brazilian adolescents from the south-east of the country, reporting that 30% presented BD and that 16% of the body dissatisfaction of the adolescents could be explained by feelings of satisfaction and self-esteem. Some studies suggest that female adolescents are much more affected by concern over their physical appearance, which may explain their reduced levels of self-esteem in this stage of life [10,11,12,13]. BD has been reported as an important predictive factor for low self-esteem and depressive mood [6,10], which are quite frequent among adolescents in western society. However, there is as yet no consensus in the literature, since other studies have failed to establish a relationship between self-esteem and BD [14]. Due to the potential negative impact of low self-esteem on the health of adolescents, it is important to learn more regarding the...
; Uchôa, Natalia Macêdo