A Study on the Effects of Obesity Stress and Body Shape Awareness on Physical Aesthetics in Adult Women after the Pandemic through Self-efficacy

This study investigated the relationship between obesity stress in adult women after the pandemic and body image awareness and the mediating effect of self-efficacy. The survey was conducted from June 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023, and the study sample was adult women in their 20s to 50s nationwide, with a convenience sample of 704 people used as the final analysis data. In summary, it was found that factors of body shape awareness such as awareness of obesity, body shape awareness, and weight control behavior increased due to factors of obesity stress such as surrounding awareness, negative behavioral emotions, and disease concerns due to weight gain after the pandemic. It can be interpreted to mean that there is a relationship between obesity stress and body shape awareness. Self-efficacy was shown to play a mediating role in body shape awareness and physical beauty consciousness of adult women’s obesity stress. These results show that although obesity stress increased after the pandemic, the more positively one recognizes one’s body shape, the more self-efficacy, which is the ability to solve one’s own problems and overcome obstacles, is increased, which helps one live a beautiful and healthy life. In addition, it was confirmed that the improvement of self-efficacy in adult women played a mediating role as a catalyst. Through this study, we hope to help solve the social disease of obesity by developing a more systematic program and active education so that people can pursue health and beauty by themselves and prevent the yo-yo phenomenon and its side effects through correct body shape recognition, body shape satisfaction, and weight control behavior through correct body shape recognition and self-belief or faith. We also hope to help solve the social disease of obesity by developing a more systematic program and active education so that people can pursue health through dieting.