Abstract
The purpose of this research study was to examine the risk and protective factors of body dissatisfaction and its psychological implications among Caucasian and Hispanic/Latino college-age males. A convenience sample was composed of 151 males (76 Caucasian, 75 Hispanic/Latino), ages 18-25. The undergraduate and graduate participants were recruited from the main and regional campuses at the University of La Verne. Participants completed a questionnaire packet, which included a Demographic Questionnaire, the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIQ), the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), and the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH). Results indicated that ethnicity and level of acculturation did not significantly predict the level of body dissatisfaction in the sample. The results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between Caucasian and Latino/Hispanic males in their level of satisfaction-dissatisfaction with distinct physical attributes. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between self-esteem and body dissatisfaction among the sample, however, depression was not correlated with body dissatisfaction. Implications and limitations of these findings were discussed.