ABSTRACT
Introduction: Teenagers have body image changes due to physical changes occurring at the teenaging period. At this age, self-confidence is influenced due to physical changes possibly resulting in mental disorders and depression in teenagers. For this reason, this study has targeted at the association between body image satisfaction and depression in teenagers and the association between body image satisfaction and depression in adolescent boys and girls
Methods: This is a descriptive correlational one-group one step design on 400 female and male students of grade 5 and 6 of governmental secondary schools in Isfahan [in IRAN] in school year 2002 to 2003. The subjects were selected by stratified random sampling. The data, collected by questionnaires, were analyzed by descriptive inferential statistics in SPSS software
Results: The findings, based on Pearson correlation test [r 0.667, P< 0.001], showed a significant association between body image and depression in students. The findings also showed body image satisfaction as well as depression less among girls than boys
Discussion: Although body image dissatisfaction and depression were seen more among teenage girls than boys but in both groups, there was a significant association between body image and depression. It can well be claimed that teenage boys are also at risk of depression like teenage girls. So more care should be paid to these two groups of teenagers