Adapting an Integrated Model of Body Appreciation in Women: The Role of Interoceptive Awareness

Abstract

Body image concerns have become normative within current society and, while much research has demonstrated links between body image and overall wellbeing, the causes of positive and negative body image remain unclear. Interoceptive awareness (IA) is one construct that has been shown to have positive relationships with body appreciation, however body image literature lacks an integrative theoretical model which incorporates its influence. A convenience sample of 197 female participants from Australia completed an online questionnaire comprising several standardised measures including measures of IA, body appreciation and other proposed factors underlying positive body image. Results indicated that greater IA, self-compassion and perceived body acceptance by others, and lower self-objectification, social comparison and internalisation of the thin-ideal were related to greater body appreciation. Structural equation modelling demonstrated that appearance processing mechanisms – self-objectification, social comparison, and thin-ideal internalisation – negatively predicted body appreciation, and self-objectification and social comparison mediated the relationship between IA and body appreciation. The adapted model of positive body image provided a good fit to the data. Findings contribute to the understanding of body appreciation, suggesting that IA is an influential factor within body appreciation, and can help inform future practices to increase overall wellbeing.