"It's Better to Be Depressed Skinny than Happy Fat:" College Women's Memorable Body Messages and Their Impact on Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Rape Myth Acceptance. Issue 13 (10th November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rubinsky, Valerie; Hosek, Angela M.; Hudak, Nicole
• Is Part Of: Health communication. Volume 34:Issue 13(2019)
• Page Start: 1555
• Page End: 1563
• Publication Date: 2019-11-10
• Subjects: Communication in medicine -- Periodicals; Health in mass media -- Periodicals; 362.1014
• DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2018.1504659
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1041-0236

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study investigated the content of memorable body messages that college women recall receiving in their childhood, and the relationship of those messages to state body image satisfaction, self-esteem, rape myth acceptance, and likelihood to report rape or sexual assault. Memorable messages were mostly about body size, body type, body parts, haptic messages, body positivity, and development. Mothers were the most frequent source of memorable body messages during childhood. Although there was no difference in any of the dependent variables based on the content of the message, there was a relationship between perceived message valence with body image, self-esteem, and rape myth acceptance. Messages that participants interpreted as more positive and beneficial were associated with higher body image satisfaction, higher self-esteem, and increased rape myth acceptance.