Gender differences in body dissatisfaction: A large-scale investigation among adolescents using two international surveys

TL;DR

This study finds that teenage girls report higher body dissatisfaction than boys across many countries, with factors like social norms and development level playing a role.

Contribution

The study uses large, cross-national data to reveal how gender differences in body dissatisfaction vary and are influenced by societal factors.

Findings

Girls consistently report higher body dissatisfaction than boys across age, BMI, and socioeconomic background.

The gender gap in body dissatisfaction is larger in developed countries and among higher-performing students and older teens.

Stereotypes linking women to physical appearance are stronger in developed countries and correlate with higher female dissatisfaction.

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction is closely linked to low self-esteem, reduced well-being, as well as mental health issues, and eating-related pathologies, which are increasingly prevalent worldwide, particularly among women. Understanding gender differences in body dissatisfaction is therefore an important issue. Yet most prior studies rely on small, non-representative samples from single developed countries. This study’s overarching goal is to provide a cross-national assessment of the magnitude and potential drivers of these gender differences. We analyze gender differences in body dissatisfaction using two large-scale international surveys, covering over 70,000 teenagers aged 15–16 across 9 countries and over 220,000 teenagers aged 11–16 across 41 countries. Girls report significantly higher body dissatisfaction than boys, regardless of Body Mass Index, socioeconomic background, age, or country. Moreover, body dissatisfaction appears more central for girls, showing stronger negative associations with life satisfaction and self-efficacy. Within countries, the gender gap is larger among high-performing students, teenagers from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, older teenagers, and those with higher BMI. The size of the gender gap varies across countries, driven mainly by variability in girls’ body dissatisfaction. Countries with larger gender gaps also show wider gender disparities in life satisfaction, eating disorders, and depression. Notably, body dissatisfaction satisfies the Gender Equality Paradox, with larger gender differences in more developed countries, mainly due to higher dissatisfaction among girls. We also examine the role of social norms. Stereotypes associating women more with physical appearance than abilities are stronger in developed countries. These stereotypes are linked to higher female body dissatisfaction and larger gender differences, and may partly explain the Gender Equality Paradox. This study identifies patterns and potential drivers of gender differences in body dissatisfaction using representative, cross-national data combined with societal indicators, and provides a foundation for more effective interventions.

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