Body Dissatisfaction, Weight-Related Behaviours, and Health Behaviours: A Comparison Between Australian and Malaysian in Female Emerging Adults

Abstract

The presence of body dissatisfaction (BD) in non-Western countries is an important area of empirical enquiry. The results reflect collectivistic and individualistic cultures of Malaysians and Australians, respectively, whereby social approval, social acceptance, and cultural values are of high importance to Malaysians compared with the more liberal attitudes of Australians with respect to health behaviours. This study sought to compare: (1) Australian and Malaysian women on BD, thin ideal internalisation, sociocultural influences, problematic weight-related behaviours, and health behaviours; and (2) the degree to which BD is associated with health behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, and sexual behaviours) across the two cultures. Participants were 428 Australian females and 402 Malaysian females aged 18–25 years old. Australians had higher BD, thin ideal internalisation, family and media influences, restrained eating, and poorer health behaviours, while Malaysians had higher peer influence. There was no difference for bulimic behaviours across the two countries. BD was found to have an association with use of drugs, smoking, and sexual behaviours among Malaysian women, but not for Australian participants. The permeation of Western standards of the thin ideal due to increased industrialisation, Westernisation, and modernisation has brought about bulimic behaviours in Malaysian women, similar to that of Australian women.