ANTECEDENTS OF BODY IMAGE CONCERN AMONG HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FEMALE STUDENTS: A MARKETING PROSPECTIVE APPROACH

This study examine the association among media exposure, self-concept clarity, appearance related social comparison, internalization of thin ideal beauty and body image concerns. Higher educational institutions females students (N=484) completed self-reported measure of constructs. Structural equation Modelling examine various key findings: self-concept clarity mediates the link between media exposure and appearance related social comparison, also (b) self-concept clarity mediates the link between media exposure and internalization of thin ideal beauty. (c) appearance related social comparison mediates the link between self-concept clarity and body image concerns, but (d) internalization of thin ideal beauty did not mediates the relationship between self-concept clarity and body image concerns. These findings suggest greater exposure of media might contribute to body image concerns, because it disturb female susceptibility of self-concept disturbance, appearance related social comparison and internalization of thin ideal beauty.