body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem: a moderated mediation model

Objective: the purpose of the present research was to investigate the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem; and to test whether gender moderated the proposed mediation model. methods: the sample participated in the study consisted of 50 adult men and women (24% men and 76% women), age from 25 to 68, attending aesthetic procedures, from november 2023 till march 2024, in  one of the ahvaz clinics.  three self-report instruments were used in this study which consisted of rosenberg self-esteem scale, spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory (stai-y) and, littleton et al. (2005) body image concern inventory. also, some information related to the characteristics of the respondents (gender and the level of education), were collected.results: the results indicated that (a) body image dissatisfaction negatively associated with self-esteem, (b) state anxiety plays a mediating role between body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem, (c) state anxiety negatively predicted self-esteem, (d) body image dissatisfaction positively related to state anxiety, and (e) gender was a moderator; meaning that the path from body image dissatisfaction to self-esteem was stronger for females than for males.conclusions: the findings have implications for improving self-esteem through body image and anxiety for men and women.