Body dissatisfaction, narcissism and self-esteem in young men and women: a moderated mediation analysis

We sought to examine the associations between grandiose (GN) and vulnerable (VN) subtypes of narcissism andbody dissatisfaction (BD), and moderation of these associations by sex, in young men and women, controlling forself-esteem (SE). Three hundred and fifty seven men and women aged 18 to 30 completed an online survey thatincluded measures of GN, VN, BD, and SE. For both men and women, VN was positively correlated with BD andVN was negatively correlated with SE, while GN was (positively) correlated with SE only in women. Initialanalysis suggested a role of SE in mediating the association between VN and BD. Moderated mediation analysisconfirmed that the association between VN and BD was (fully) mediated by SE and that there was no moderationof this association by sex. The findings support the multidimensional nature of narcissism in young people andhighlight the role of SE in accounting for the effects of VN on BD. Further research is needed to elucidate thedirection of these associations and to consider their practical implications