Body Image Concern, Sexual Esteem and Marital Satisfaction in Young Married Adults

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v5i2.265

Keywords:

Body Image Concerns, Marital Satisfaction, Mediation, Sexual Esteem

Abstract

This correlational research aims to study body image concerns, sexual esteem and marital satisfaction in young married adults. The sample consist of N = 163 young married adults from Lahore, Pakistan. The measures included Body Image Concern Scale (He et al., 2017), Sexual Esteem Scale (Snell & Papini, 1989) and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (Fowers & Olson, 1993) in addition to demographic information sheet. The findings revealed that body image concerns negatively (-0.34, p < .001) while sexual esteem positively (0.42, p < .001) relates to marital satisfaction. Significant gender differences revealed that men tend to have better sexual esteem (t = 2.90, df = 161, p <0.01) and marital satisfaction (t = 2.01, df = 161, p <0.05) than women. Increase in total family income, marital satisfaction tends to increase. The mediation analysis revealed that sexual esteem serves as a mediator between concerns about body image and marital satisfaction. The study implies potential development of therapeutic interventions for enhancing marriage satisfaction and addressing societal stigmatization of body ideals for improved marital quality.

References

Anti?evi?, V., Joki?-Begi?, N., & Britvi?, D. (2017). Sexual self?concept, sexual satisfaction, and attachment among single and coupled individuals. Personal Relationships, 24(4), 858–868. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12217

Ashdown, B. K., Hackathorn, J., & Clark, E. M. (2011). In and out of the bedroom: sexual satisfaction in the marital relationship. Journal of Integrated Social Sciences, 2(1), 40–57.

Atkinson, M. J., & Diedrichs, P. C. (2021). Assessing the impact of body image concerns on functioning across life domains: Development and validation of the Body Image Life Disengagement Questionnaire (BILD-Q) among British adolescents. Body Image, 37, 63–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.01.009

Cash, T. F. (2012). Cognitive-Behavioral Perspectives on Body Image. Elsevier eBooks, 334–342. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-384925-0.00054-7

Dobrowolska, M., Groyecka-Bernard, A., Sorokowski, P., Randall, A. K., Hilpert, P., Ahmadi, K., Alghraibeh, A. M., Aryeetey, R., Bertoni, A., Bettache, K., B?a?ejewska, M., Bodenmann, G., Bortolini, T. S., Bosc, C., Butovskaya, M., Castro, F. N., Cetinkaya, H., Cunha, D. G. L., David, D., ……. Sorokowska, A. (2020). Global Perspective on Marital Satisfaction. Sustainability, 12(21), 8817. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218817

Farhan, S., & Ismail, Y. (2022). The Relationship of Body Shape Satisfaction with Personal Intimacy and Sexual Satisfaction Among Married Females. Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies, 22(1), 135–156. https://doi.org/10.46568/pjgs.v22i1.597

Fowers, B. J., & Olson, D. H. (1993). ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale: A brief research and clinical tool. Journal of Family Psychology, 7(2), 176–185. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.7.2.176

He, W., Zheng, Q., Ji, Y., Shen, C., Zhu, Q., & Wang, W. (2017). Development of a Body Image Concern Scale using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in Chinese university students. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 13, 1419–1425. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s138762

Hendrick, S. S. (1988). A Generic Measure of Relationship Satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and Family, 50(1), 93. https://doi.org/10.2307/352430

Lee, C. (2016). Body Image and Relationship Satisfaction Among Couples: The Role of Perceived Partner Appearance Evaluations and Sexual Satisfaction [Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5836]. University of Windsor.

Li, T., & Fung, H. H. (2011). The Dynamic Goal Theory of Marital Satisfaction. Review of General Psychology, 15(3), 246–254. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024694

McNulty, J. K., & Fisher, T. D. (2007). Gender differences in response to sexual expectancies and Changes in sexual frequency: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study of sexual satisfaction in newly married couples. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37(2), 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9176-1

Meltzer, A. L., & McNulty, J. K. (2010). Body image and marital satisfaction: Evidence for the mediating role of sexual frequency and sexual satisfaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(2), 156–164. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019063

Murray, S. L., Holmes, J. G., & Collins, N. L. (2006). Optimizing assurance: The risk regulation system in relationships. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 641-666. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.5.641

O'Sullivan, L. F., Meyer-Bahlburg, H. F. L., & McKeague, I. W. (2006). Sexual Self-Esteem Scale--Modified Version. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t70986-000

Peixoto, M. M., Amarelo-Pires, I., Pimentel Biscaia, M. S., & Machado, P. P. P. (2018). Sexual self-esteem, sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction in Portuguese heterosexual university students. Psychology & Sexuality, 9(4), 305–316. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2018.1491413

Snell, W. E., Fisher, T. D., & Miller, R. S. (1991). Development of the Sexual Awareness Questionnaire: Components, reliability, and validity. Annals of Sex Research, 4(1), 65–92. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00850140

Snell, W. E., Fisher, T. D., & Schuh, T. (1992). Reliability and validity of the sexuality scale: A measure of sexual?esteem, sexual?depression, and sexual?preoccupation. The Journal of Sex Research, 29(2), 261–273. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499209551646

Snell, W. E., & Papini, D. R. (1989). The sexuality scale: An instrument to measure sexual?esteem, sexual?depression, and sexual?preoccupation. Journal of Sex Research, 26(2), 256–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224498909551510

Træen, B., Markovic, A., & Kvalem, I. L. (2016). Sexual satisfaction and body image: a cross-sectional study among Norwegian young adults. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 31(2), 123–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2015.1131815

Zeanah, P. D., & Schwarz, J. C. (1996). Reliability and Validity of the Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory for women. Assessment, 3(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/107319119)600300101

Zubair, S., & Ali, U. (2019). Men’s perception of post-marriage body image: Pakistan milieu. Culture and Psychology, 27(1), 96-117. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067x19894935

Published

2024-06-30

How to Cite

Naveed, A., & Anjum, A. (2024). Body Image Concern, Sexual Esteem and Marital Satisfaction in Young Married Adults. Journal of Professional & Applied Psychology, 5(2), 129–143. https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v5i2.265