Religion’s Effect on the Need to Belong and Body Image in Adolescent Girls

This study examines the relationship between religiosity, the need to belong and body image among adolescent girls. Previous literature indicates that there is a positive relationship between religiosity and individuals’ self-rated physical, mental, emotional, and cognitive well-being; however, this research has focused largely on young adults and the elderly. My study will help expand on this literature by examining adolescent girls. During this time of discovery for teenagers, the need to belong and its connection with body image are pivotal factors for growth and development. An analysis of the data from the National Study of Youth and Religion (n=1670) will assess how religion affects girls’ need to belong and how both of those factors affect body image. Religiosity is determined by seven questions that consider both behavioral and conceptual aspects, while the need to belong and body image will be measured by the following questions: In general, how happy or unhappy are you with your body and physical appearance, how important or unimportant is it to you to fit in with what teens your age think is cool, and how much do you feel loved and accepted for who you are? Based on the previous research, I hypothesize that there will be a relationship between religion, the need to belong, and body image, and that both adolescent girls’ need to fit in and body image will be affected by their degree of religiosity