Characteristics of body image as a structural component of subjective well-being

Abstract

There have been many foreign studies verifying a robust link between body image and a person's subjective well-being. However, unlike their foreign counterparts, Russian researchers have been limiting themselves to covering general questions pertaining to a relation between a person’s well-being and their body image. Thus, the coverage for the body image as a structural component of subjective well-being has been insufficient. The present study appears relevant given the need for a deeper understanding of mechanisms that maintain mental health in adolescent girls and the need for a deeper understanding of factors contributing to the formation of their subjective well-being. In the context of this paper we view the body image as a key component of a person’s well-being. The present study surveyed female students of the Philological Faculty of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN). The sample included 100 (N=100) participants aged from 18 to 22 years, with the average age being 22. We analyzed and compiled the theoretical studies on the subject of subjective well-being (SWB) and body image as well as their correlation, by both foreign and Russian researchers. We also compiled some empirical data on the subject of body image as a component of a person’s well-being. Statistical methods such as the Spearman’s rank-order correlation analysis and factor analysis were employed. The data suggested that the subjective perception of one’s body image had a great influence on various structural components of one’s personality.