Quality of Life and Body Image Perception in Adolescents: the Contextual Aspects of This Relationship Using Network Analyses

This study aimed to assess the impact of body image perception on the quality of life of 1081 Brazilian adolescents and to determine the main variables associated with body dissatisfaction. The participants’ ages ranged from 12 to 19 years (M = 14.88; SD = 2.38), and they all completed an online sociodemographic questionnaire, the Contour Drawing Rating Scale, and KIDSCREEN instruments. According to their body image perception, the participants were classified into the following two groups: satisfied and dissatisfied. Most male adolescents were in the satisfied group (51.3%) and exhibited higher quality-of-life scores in the domains evaluated (p < .001; η2 = .04). Adolescents of brown, yellow, or indigenous races (OR = 1.45 [1.05–2.02]) and students attending night classes (OR = 5.20 [1.15–23.5]) had higher odds of exhibiting body dissatisfaction. Network analysis indicated that school grade (elementary/high school) and night school attendance were the variables with the greatest influence among all adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of interventions that prioritize developing a satisfactory body image while considering individuals’ developmental period, race, education period, and social support network.