Body Dissatisfaction: Commitment, Support and Trust in Romantic Relationships

Research investigating dimensions of relationship quality (Markey, Markey, & Birch, 2001; Pierce, Sarason, & Sarason, 1996) has suggested that aspects of relationship quality (e.g., commitment, support, trust) are related to lower levels of body dissatisfaction in women. However no studies have examined the effect of all three measures of relationship quality on body dissatisfaction simultaneously. Trust and support correlated with body dissatisfaction in men and women. Additionally the results showed that lack of support is a predictor of body dissatisfaction in men, lack of trust is a predictor in women; relationship commitment did not appear to relate to body dissatisfaction.