The Role of Communication with Parents about Sexuality in the Dynamics of Body Image Satisfaction among Adolescents

Sa？etak Body image dissatisfaction among adolescents is a risk factor in developing eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression. Previous research pointed to a protective role of family communication and support when it comes to body image dissatisfaction. However, little is known about possible links between body image satisfaction and communication with parents about sexuality. The association between parent-adolescent communication about sex and adolescents’ sexual health has been predominantly explored cross-sectionally. The aim of this longitudinal study was to assess the temporal dynamics of the association between body image satisfaction and communication with parents about sexuality among adolescents. Data were collected using a panel-sample of 1,325 high-school sophomores recruited from 14 schools in the Croatian cities of Rijeka and Opatija. The study covered a period of 18 months using four data collection points. The associations were analysed by parallel latent growth curve modelling, an analytical method that enables the assessment of between-person differences over time by estimating within-person latent trajectories of change. The analyses revealed a positive association between communication with parents about sexuality and body image satisfaction at the initial point of analysis and over time, but only among female adolescents. The findings may be beneficial to educational and public health specialists, as well as to parents in improving the psychosocial well-being of adolescents