Body image, self-esteem and academic achievement of 8th and 11th grades Male and female Lebanese students (c2011)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between body image, self-esteem and academic achievements of 8th and 11th grades male and female Lebanese students. A survey was administered on a sample of 120 students from two private schools in Beirut using two instruments: the 34-item Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire, MBSRQ (Cash, 2000) composed of five subscales, and the 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, RSE (Rosenberg, 1965). Students wrote their trimesters’ GPAs that represent their academic achievement. The study’s findings supported by the comprehensive review of literature confirmed the influence of body image and self- esteem on adolescents’ academic achievement. The results revealed that body image and self-esteem, and body image and academic achievement are positively and equally correlated in both genders. However, the relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement was only apparent in females. The study contributes to a wider appreciation of the educators’ importance in addressing the factors that influence body image and self-esteem, such as social comparison and media, and offers recommendations, such as preventative and interventional programs, to be implemented in schools in order to help students improve their body image.