Testing an Integrated Biopsychosocial Model of Adolescent Girls' Body Shame: Considering the Role of Pubertal Development.

Although objectification theory and the tripartite influence model provide instructive insights into understanding how sociocultural factors contribute to adolescent girls' body shame, it is still unclear why early-maturing girls tend to suffer more body shame than later-maturing girls. This study investigated the role of pubertal development in an integrated biopsychosocial model of body shame derived from the objectification theory model and tripartite influence model. A total of 317 early adolescent girls (average age: 12.45 years; SD = 1.27; range: 10–15 years) living in the southwestern province of China completed surveys on pubertal development, perceived peer appearance pressure, appearance comparison, body surveillance, and body shame. Results indicated that girls who matured earlier were more likely to perceive peer appearance pressure, and, in turn, more body shame, through body surveillance and appearance comparison. However, pubertal development did not significantly moderate the associations between perceived peer appearance pressure, body surveillance, and body shame. These findings provide novel evidence for the role of pubertal development in adolescent girls' body shame within an integrated biopsychosocial framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]