Does self-esteem affect body dissatisfaction levels in female adolescents?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of self-esteem on levels of body dissatisfaction among adolescent females. METHODS: A group of 397 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years were enrolled in the study. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was applied to assess body dissatisfaction. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to assess self-esteem. Weight, height, and skinfold thickness were also measured. These anthropometric data were controlled in the statistical analyses. RESULTS: The multiple regression model indicated influence of "positive self-esteem" (R(2)=0.16; p=0.001) and "negative self-esteem" (R(2)=0.23; p=0.001) subscales on the BSQ scores. Univariate analysis of covariance demonstrated differences in BSQ scores (p=0.001) according to groups of self-esteem. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that self-esteem influenced body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls from Juiz de Fora, MG.