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

• 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 selfesteem. Serial mediation modeling might reveal more complex explanations of change mechanisms and could further evolve current knowledge.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Health promotion

Embodiment

Adolescence

Randomized controlled study

Mediation

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)