ORIGINAL PAPER
Body appreciation as a mediator between social appearance anxiety and healthy lifestyle behaviors
1
Department of Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Türkiye
Submission date: 2026-04-21
Final revision date: 2026-04-27
Acceptance date: 2026-05-08
Online publication date: 2026-07-10
Corresponding author
Türkan Akyol Güner
Department of Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Türkiye
Department of Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Türkiye
KEYWORDS
body appreciationsocial appearance anxietyhealth-promoting lifestyle behaviorsmediation analysiscross-sectional study
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Social appearance anxiety is a significant psychosocial factor that may influence individuals’ engagement in health-promoting behaviors. However, the pathways underlying this relationship remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to examine the indirect associative role of body appreciation in the association between social appearance anxiety and healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Participants and procedure:
This cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted with 382 adults residing in a city in northwestern Türkiye. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, Body Appreciation Scale, and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Statistical analyses included non-parametric tests, Spearman’s rank correlation, and mediation analysis using the bootstrap method (5000 resamples).
Results:
Social appearance anxiety was found to be moderately and negatively associated with body appreciation (rs = −.40, p < .001). Body appreciation was significantly and positively associated with healthy lifestyle behaviors (B = 0.45, p < .001). Although social appearance anxiety showed a weak but significant direct association with healthy lifestyle behaviors (B = 0.09, p < .05), the analysis indicated that body appreciation showed a significant indirect association, consistent with partial mediation (B = 0.17, 95% CI [0.11, 0.23]).
Conclusions:
The findings suggest that the association between social appearance anxiety and healthy lifestyle behaviors is explained, at least in part, through body appreciation. Interventions aimed at improving body appreciation and reducing appearance-related anxiety may contribute to the promotion of healthier behavioral patterns.
Social appearance anxiety is a significant psychosocial factor that may influence individuals’ engagement in health-promoting behaviors. However, the pathways underlying this relationship remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to examine the indirect associative role of body appreciation in the association between social appearance anxiety and healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Participants and procedure:
This cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted with 382 adults residing in a city in northwestern Türkiye. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, Body Appreciation Scale, and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Statistical analyses included non-parametric tests, Spearman’s rank correlation, and mediation analysis using the bootstrap method (5000 resamples).
Results:
Social appearance anxiety was found to be moderately and negatively associated with body appreciation (rs = −.40, p < .001). Body appreciation was significantly and positively associated with healthy lifestyle behaviors (B = 0.45, p < .001). Although social appearance anxiety showed a weak but significant direct association with healthy lifestyle behaviors (B = 0.09, p < .05), the analysis indicated that body appreciation showed a significant indirect association, consistent with partial mediation (B = 0.17, 95% CI [0.11, 0.23]).
Conclusions:
The findings suggest that the association between social appearance anxiety and healthy lifestyle behaviors is explained, at least in part, through body appreciation. Interventions aimed at improving body appreciation and reducing appearance-related anxiety may contribute to the promotion of healthier behavioral patterns.
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| eISSN: | 2353-5571 |
| ISSN: | 2353-4184 |
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