Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2-2022
Abstract
Body image is a critical component of an individual’s sexual experiences. This makes it critical to identify demographic and sociocultural correlates of sexuality-related body image: the subjective feelings, cognitions, and evaluations related to one’s body in the context of sexual experience. We examined how sexuality-related body image differed by gender, sexual orientation, race, age, and BMI. Four items assessing sexuality-related body image were completed by 11,620 U.S. adults: self-perceived sex appeal of their body, nude appearance satisfaction, and the extent to which they believed that body image positively or negatively affected their sexual enjoyment and feelings of sexual acceptability as a partner. Men reported slightly less nude appearance dissatisfaction and fewer negative effects of body image on sexual enjoyment and sexual acceptability than women, but did not differ in reported sex appeal. Poorer sexuality-related body image was reported by people with higher BMIs, not in relationships, who had sex less frequently, among White compared to Black women and men, and among gay compared to heterosexual men. Data also revealed a subgroup of respondents who reported that their body image had a positive impact on their sex lives. The findings highlight a need for interventions addressing sexuality-related body image.
Recommended Citation
Frederick, D. A., Gordon, A. R., Cook-Cottone, C. P., Brady, J. P., Reynolds, T. A., Alley, J., Garcia, J. R., Brown, T. A., Compte, E. J., Convertino, L., Crerand, C. E., Malcarne, V. L., Nagata, J. M., Parent, M. C., Pennesi, J. L., Perez, M., Pila, E., Rodgers, R. F., Schaefer, L. M., Thompson, J. K., … Murray, S. B. (2022). Demographic and sociocultural predictors of sexuality-related body image and sexual frequency: The U.S. Body Project I. Body Image, 41, 109–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.01.010
Copyright
Elsevier
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons
Comments
NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Body Image. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Body Image, volume 41, in 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.01.010
The Creative Commons license below applies only to this version of the article.