An exploration into women's body image beliefs and sociocultural factors: A US/Italy cross-cultural comparison study

INTRODUCTION: Today's world defines the ideal body for women as not only thin but also muscular, colloquially known as fit. Internalizing ideal body standards has been linked to various adverse health outcomes. We cross-culturally explore Italian and US adult women's ideal body image beliefs and the sociocultural factors that shape them. METHODS: This sub-study is under a larger bilingual (Italian/English) multi-phase explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Women (n = 158), 18-45, living in Italy (n = 105) or the USA (n = 53) completed an online survey measuring demographic, body image, and sociocultural attitudes. The following sub-scales, adapted from the SATAQ-4R and MSBRQ, were compared between US and Italian women using analysis of covariance: internalization of conventional attractiveness; the athletic/muscular body ideal; the thin body ideal; appearance pressures from peers, family, significant others, and the media; self-esteem; physical fitness/health; body weight focus; and concerns about weight gain. RESULTS: Italian women reported higher internalization of thin appearance than U.S. women [3.0 vs. 2.6, F(1, 144) = 4.50, p = .036]. Additionally, they exhibited greater internalization of general appearance [2.6 vs. 2.4), F(1, 144) = 4.10, p = .045], and greater familial pressures regarding appearance [4.3 vs. 3.3, F(1, 144) = 9.13, p = .003]. In contrast, Italian women reported lower fitness evaluations [3.1 vs. 3.7, F(1, 144) = 9.97, p = .002] and lower fitness orientations [3.0 vs. 3.3, F(1, 144) = 3.97, p = .048]. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights significant cultural differences in body image beliefs and sociocultural pressures between Italian and US women. Italian women exhibited higher internalization of attractiveness ideals and familial pressures, alongside lower fitness evaluations and orientations compared to US women. These findings underscore the importance of developing culturally tailored interventions that address diverse internalized aesthetic standards and sociocultural pressures, ultimately promoting healthier body image and enhancing well-being for women across both cultural contexts.