ERIC Number: EJ1473409
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0033-3085
EISSN: EISSN-1520-6807
Available Date: 2025-03-03
School-Based Body Image Programming: A Critical Literature Review
Carly J. Bennett1; Tavis J. Glassman2; Barbara Saltzman2; Joseph A. Dake2; Gerald R. Natal3; Aaron J. Kruse-Diehr4
Psychology in the Schools, v62 n7 p2286-2299 2025
The purpose of this review is to summarize the literature on school-based programs that have been developed to address body image among adolescents. A literature review on this topic has not been conducted since 2013, warranting the need for an updated review since the proliferation of social media and other societal changes. Articles were included if they were published from 2011-2022; 2011 to 2022; described programs implemented in secondary schools in the United States or Canada; and included at least one measure of body image improvement, awareness, or knowledge in the program assessment. The article search involved identifying keywords and applying them to searches in specific databases, including Academic Search Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE, ProQuest Dissertations, PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The search parameters yielded eleven articles, which included studies with both co-ed and female-only samples. None included gender-inclusive curriculum or survey demographics. For most studies, researchers used small sample sizes, self-reported data, and single-site samples. Most included a measure on eating disorder risk in addition to one or more body image measures. Researchers should conduct future studies with larger and more diverse samples. Areas of need include implementing comprehensive programs in the school setting, promoting inclusivity to incorporate gender identity/fluidity, and using experimental research designs with longitudinal assessments.
Descriptors: Self Concept, Human Body, Adolescent Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Secondary School Students, Foreign Countries, Sociocultural Patterns, Program Evaluation, Resilience (Psychology), Well Being, School Health Services, Health Promotion
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States; Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1School of Health and Human Services, Department of Health Sciences, Indiana University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA; 2School of Population Health, College of Health and Human Services, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA; 3Health and Human Services Librarian, College of Health and Human Services, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, ISA; 4Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA