The Norwegian healthy body image intervention promotes positive embodiment through improved self-esteem

Christine Sundgot-Borgen; Andreas Stenling; Jan H Rosenvinge; Gunn Pettersen; Oddgeir Friborg; Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen; Elin Kolle; Monica Klungland Torstveit; Kethe M E Svantorp-Tveiten; Solfrid Bratland-Sanda

doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.08.014

The Norwegian healthy body image intervention promotes positive embodiment through improved self-esteem

Body Image. 2020 Dec:35:84-95. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.08.014. Epub 2020 Oct 3.

Affiliations

¹ Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Sports Medicine, Sognsveien 220, N-0806 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: chrsun@ous-hf.no.
² Umeå University, Department of Psychology, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden. Electronic address: andreas.stenling@umu.se.
³ UiT -The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Psychology, 9037 Tromsø, Norway. Electronic address: jan.rosenvinge@uit.no.
⁴ UiT -The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Health and Caring Sciences, N- 9037 Tromsø, Norway. Electronic address: gunn.pettersen@uit.no.
⁵ UiT -The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Psychology, 9037 Tromsø, Norway. Electronic address: oddgeir.friborg@uit.no.
⁶ Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Sports Medicine, Sognsveien 220, N-0806 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: jorunn.sundgot-borgen@nih.no.
⁷ Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Sports Medicine, Sognsveien 220, N-0806 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: elin.kolle@nih.no.
⁸ University of Agder, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Postbox 422, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway. Electronic address: monica.k.torstveit@uia.no.
⁹ Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Sports Medicine, Sognsveien 220, N-0806 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: k.m.e.engen@nih.no.
¹⁰ University College of Southeast Norway, Department of Sports, Physical Education and Outdoor Studies, P.O. Box 235, N-3603 Kongsberg, Norway. Electronic address: Solfrid.Bratland-Sanda@usn.no.

PMID: 33022483
DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.08.014

Abstract

We examined both direct and indirect effects of the Healthy Body Image (HBI) intervention on positive embodiment among Norwegian high school students. In total, 2446 12th grade boys (43 %) and girls (mean age 16.8 years) from 30 schools participated in a cluster-randomized controlled study with the HBI intervention and a control condition as the study arms. We tested mediation models using path analysis and found that among several hypothesized mediators, only self-esteem mediated a positive intervention effect on positive embodiment for both boys and girls. A direct effect of the intervention on positive embodiment was only found in girls. The study provides novel findings indicating that health promotion interventions to address a positive embodiment should focus on enhancing adolescent's self-esteem. Serial mediation modeling might reveal more complex explanations of change mechanisms and could further evolve current knowledge.

Keywords: Adolescence; Embodiment; Health promotion; Mediation; Randomized controlled study.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Body Image / psychology*
Female
Health Promotion / methods*
Health Status
Humans
Male
Norway
Schools*
Self Concept*
Students