EFFECT OF BODY POSITIVITY PSYCHOEDUCATION PROGRAMME ON BODY SHAME AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NIGERIA'S OWERRI EDUCATION ZONE.

Body shame is a prevalent psychosocial concern among adolescents and is associated with poor self-esteem, social withdrawal, and reduced academic engagement. This study investigated the effect of the BPP program on body shame among senior secondary school students in Owerri Education Zone, Imo State. The study adopted a non-randomized quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design. The population comprised SS2 students in public secondary schools who exhibited elevated body shame. Following a screening exercise, 60 eligible students were selected through a multistage sampling procedure and assigned to an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). Data were collected using the BSRS which yielded a Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of.83 The experimental group participated in an 8-week body positivity psychoeducation program, whereas the control group received conventional counseling but received no intervention. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, whereas analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at the significance level of 0.05. The findings revealed that students exposed to the psychoeducation program recorded significantly lower posttest body shame scores than those in the control group. The study further found significant differences in treatment outcomes based on gender and a significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on BSS. The study concluded that BPE is an effective intervention for reducing body shame among senior secondary school students. It was recommended that school counselors integrate BPE into guidance and counseling programs to promote healthy body image and reduce appearance-related distress among adolescents