Elevating the voices of young girls around body image and appearance biases in a Letter to a Younger Girl: A qualitative analysis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

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Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/f4752j411

Abstract

Young girls and women are constantly surrounded by implicit and explicit messages regarding what a ‘perfect’ woman should look like. These societal pressures around appearances have significant negative impacts on their mental health and well-being. The current study used thematic analysis to examine how young women discuss body related issues through letters written to a younger girl on body image and body-related issues. As part of a larger study participants (N = 94) were recruited from two local high schools. Thirteen themes were coded for across the letters, including: (1) Recognition of Appearance Biases, (2) Affirmation and Empowerment, (3) Costs and Consequences, (4) Agency, (5) Be Aware of Societal Influences, (6) Love and Accept Yourself, (7) Be Authentic and True to Yourself, (8) Consider Your Support System, (9) Anti-Comparison (10) Values and Life Fulfillment, (11) Individual Health, (12) Be Confident, and (13) Variety and Diversity. These results provide a rich insight into girls’ thought processes about what she would have wanted to know earlier in life about body-related issues in society. As such, this project elevated the voices of young women and the results can inform development of earlier prevention and intervention efforts.

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