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Sociocultural and Psychological Links to Men’s Engagement in Risky Body Change Behaviors

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Abstract

The present theory-driven, empirical evaluation examined cross-sectional influences on men’s engagement in risky body change behaviors. The study tested a slightly revised version of the Tripartite Influence Model (Thompson et al. 1999) with a sample of 156 male undergraduate students from the Midwestern Region of the United States. Participants completed measures pertaining to body image and health-risk behaviors. Consistent with the Tripartite Influence Model (Thompson et al. 1999), individual psychological variables mediated the association between sociocultural influences and muscularity-oriented body dissatisfaction. Body dissatisfaction mediated the relation between psychological variables and engagement in body change behaviors. Theoretical models developed to explain body change behaviors among women may be applicable to men when constructs are assessed in ways that are relevant to men.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank Abena Boamah-Acheampong for her assistance with manuscript revisions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA

    Bryan T. Karazsia

  2. Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

    Janis H. Crowther

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  1. Bryan T. Karazsia
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  2. Janis H. Crowther
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Correspondence to Bryan T. Karazsia.

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Karazsia, B.T., Crowther, J.H. Sociocultural and Psychological Links to Men’s Engagement in Risky Body Change Behaviors. Sex Roles 63, 747–756 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-010-9802-6

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