(PS8-B47) The Impact of Maternal, Paternal, and Media Messages on Body Esteem Across Gender in Emerging Adults

Introduction: Research has shown that appearance related messages from parents and media can impact body image in emerging adults (Anixiadis et al., 2019; Chng & Fassnacht, 2016; Modica, 2020; Schaefer & Salafia, 2014). Research has also shown gender differences among parents in the ways that they interact with their adult children and among emerging adult body image (Muñoz-Suazo et al., 2020). Much of body image research has examined these effects in solely women or in men and women separately. Thus, the current study examined the effects of maternal, paternal, and media messages on body esteem in emerging adults across parent and emerging adult gender.

Methods: Participants included 555 emerging adults attending a large southern university (72.1% women), who completed an online survey with questionnaires measuring parental messages, media messages, and emerging adult body esteem. Questionnaires included the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 to measure media messages, the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults to measure body esteem, and the Parental Body Pressure and Influence Questionnaire to measure parental messages.

Results: Results indicated significant (p < .01 unless otherwise specified) main effects on body esteem when examining negative maternal feedback for emerging adult women (b = -.31) and men (b = -.35) as well as negative media messages for women (b = -.64) and men (b = -.32). Results also indicated a significant three-way interaction of negative maternal, paternal, and media messages on body esteem in emerging adult women (b = .10, p < .05). More specifically, body esteem was highest when women received low levels of negative messages from media and mothers but high negative feedback from fathers. Further, in the context of high negative media messages, body esteem in men was higher when they received low negative maternal but high negative paternal feedback than when they received low feedback from both mothers and fathers. Results from a pairwise parameter analysis also indicated that the relation between media messages and body esteem was stronger in women than men, Z = 3.56, p < .05.

Discussion: Overall, results indicated that negative media messages along with maternal and paternal feedback associate with body esteem for both men and women. A possible explanation for the interaction effect is that parents view social media as well, so it is possible that they also internalize these messages and pass them onto their children. It is also possible that emerging adult women receiving low levels of negative media messages and maternal feedback might adopt more feminist ideology, which may protect them from negative media messages. Limitations included that the group for men would have benefitted from a larger sample. Additionally, the study was cross-sectional and self-report. Future research should examine the variables among more diverse samples, such as ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities. Findings from the current study can help inform interventions aimed at body image in emerging adults. Additionally, findings can be used in parenting interventions to improve ways that parents interact with their children. Furthermore, different media platforms could be targeted for future research.