. 2022 Jun:41:109-127.

doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.01.010. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

Demographic and sociocultural predictors of sexuality-related body image and sexual frequency: The U.S. Body Project I

David A Frederick¹, Allegra R Gordon², Catherine P Cook-Cottone³, John P Brady⁴, Tania A Reynolds⁵, Jenna Alley⁶, Justin R Garcia⁷, Tiffany A Brown⁸, Emilio J Compte⁹, Lexie Convertino¹⁰, Canice E Crerand¹¹, Vanessa L Malcarne⁴, Jason M Nagata¹², Michael C Parent¹³, Jamie-Lee Pennesi⁴, Marisol Perez¹⁴, Eva Pila¹⁵, Rachel F Rodgers¹⁶, Lauren M Schaefer¹⁷, J Kevin Thompson¹⁸, Tracy L Tylka¹⁹, Stuart B Murray²⁰

Affiliations

¹ Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA. Electronic address: Enderflies1@aol.com.
² Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
³ Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
⁵ Psychology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
⁷ The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Gender Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
⁹ School of Psychology, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Chile; Research Department, Comenzar de Nuevo Treatment Center, Monterrey, Mexico.
¹⁰ San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
¹² Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
¹³ Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
¹⁵ School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
¹⁶ APPEAR, Department of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatric Emergency & Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
¹⁷ Sanford Center for Bio-behavioral Research, Fargo, ND, USA.
¹⁸ Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, FL, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
²⁰ Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

PMID: 35247866
PMCID: PMC9729002
DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.01.010

Demographic and sociocultural predictors of sexuality-related body image and sexual frequency: The U.S. Body Project I

David A Frederick et al. Body Image. 2022 Jun.

. 2022 Jun:41:109-127.

doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.01.010. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA. Electronic address: Enderflies1@aol.com.
² Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
³ Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
⁵ Psychology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
⁷ The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Gender Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
⁹ School of Psychology, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Chile; Research Department, Comenzar de Nuevo Treatment Center, Monterrey, Mexico.
¹⁰ San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
¹² Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
¹³ Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
¹⁵ School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
¹⁶ APPEAR, Department of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatric Emergency & Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
¹⁷ Sanford Center for Bio-behavioral Research, Fargo, ND, USA.
¹⁸ Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, FL, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
²⁰ Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

PMID: 35247866
PMCID: PMC9729002
DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.01.010

Abstract

Body image is a critical component of an individual's sexual experiences. This makes it critical to identify demographic and sociocultural correlates of sexuality-related body image: the subjective feelings, cognitions, and evaluations related to one's body in the context of sexual experience. We examined how sexuality-related body image differed by gender, sexual orientation, race, age, and BMI. Four items assessing sexuality-related body image were completed by 11,620 U.S. adults: self-perceived sex appeal of their body, nude appearance satisfaction, and the extent to which they believed that body image positively or negatively affected their sexual enjoyment and feelings of sexual acceptability as a partner. Men reported slightly less nude appearance dissatisfaction and fewer negative effects of body image on sexual enjoyment and sexual acceptability than women, but did not differ in reported sex appeal. Poorer sexuality-related body image was reported by people with higher BMIs, not in relationships, who had sex less frequently, among White compared to Black women and men, and among gay compared to heterosexual men. Data also revealed a subgroup of respondents who reported that their body image had a positive impact on their sex lives. The findings highlight a need for interventions addressing sexuality-related body image.

Keywords: Body Image; Gender; Positive Body Image; Sexual Attitudes; Sexual Orientation; Sexual Satisfaction.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

**Fig. 1.**
The Percentage of Men and Women Reporting Their Body Image Has a “Very Negative Effect” on their Enjoyment of Their Sex Lives by Demographic Categories. *Note*. The dark bars represent women and the lighter bars represent men. The figure shows the percentage of participants who reported that their feelings about their bodies had a “very negative effect” on “My enjoyment of my sex life.” Over 8.0% of participants reported this very negative effect among men and women who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, other sexual orientation; were not currently involved with anyone; and who had High II-III BMI. Additionally, greater than 8% of women with High I BMI and widowed women reported a very negative effect.

**Fig. 2.**
The Percentage of Men and Women Reporting Their Body Image Has a “Very Positive Effect” on their Enjoyment of Their Sex Lives by Demographic Categories. *Note*. The dark bars represent women and the lighter bars represent men. The figure shows the percentage of participants who reported that their feelings about their bodies had a “very positive effect” on “My enjoyment of my sex life.” Over 10% of participants reported this very positive effect in all groups except for men and women who identified with an “other” sexual orientation, were in the High BMI II-III categories, were not currently involved with anyone. Furthermore, fewer than 10% widowed women reported a very positive effect.

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Demographic and sociocultural predictors of sexuality-related body image and sexual frequency: The U.S. Body Project I

Affiliations

Demographic and sociocultural predictors of sexuality-related body image and sexual frequency: The U.S. Body Project I

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