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Body Dissatisfaction and Anxiety: Gender Asymmetries

Author

Listed:
  • Luciana Cantera

    (Departamento de Economía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de la República)

  • Daniel Miles
  • Maximo Rossi

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the association between body dissatisfaction, measured as the difference between actual and ideal body image, and anxiety, a mental health condition that affects an individual’s quality of life. We focus on two issues. First, whether there are gender asymmetries in this association. Our results suggest that women’s anxiety events are significantly more correlated with body dissatisfaction than for men. Second, we analyze two measures of anxiety: a subjective perceived episode of anxiety and a diagnosis of anxiety by a physician. Our findings suggest that the subjective measure overestimates the association between body dissatisfaction and anxiety.

Suggested Citation

  • Luciana Cantera & Daniel Miles & Maximo Rossi, 2020. "Body Dissatisfaction and Anxiety: Gender Asymmetries," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0520, Department of Economics - dECON.
    • Handle: RePEc:ude:wpaper:0520
    as

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    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/25965
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. Robert H. Frank, 2005. "Positional Externalities Cause Large and Preventable Welfare Losses," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(2), pages 137-141, May.
    3. George A. Akerlof & Rachel E. Kranton, 2000. "Economics and Identity," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(3), pages 715-753.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    body image; dissatisfaction; gender; anxiety; Uruguay;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General

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