Sociocultural attitudes towards appearance and body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls in Croatia.

Four hundred and seventy-one girls and young women aged 14 to 23 were surveyed regarding their awareness and internalization of the thin ideal and body dissatisfaction. Measures included the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ). These young women were found to express a large degree of body dissatisfaction which was significantly related to the internalization and awareness of the thin ideal. Multiple analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied in order to determine the effects of age, awareness and internalization on body image using body mass index (BMI) as covariate. It was concluded that the girls with high scores on the internalization and awareness scales were the most dissatisfied with their bodies. The present study suggests that the awareness and adoption of the thin body ideal and high body dissatisfaction are a part of the process of globalization, which is now present in most cultures and nations.