The Relationship Between Body Image Concern and Sexual Satisfaction with the Moderating Role of Sexual Mindfulness
Keywords:
Sexual mindfulness, sexual satisfaction, body image concernAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between body image concern and sexual satisfaction, with a focus on the moderating role of sexual mindfulness among married university students.
Methodology: This research employed a descriptive–correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of married students from Alzahra University and the University of Tehran in 2022, from which 306 participants were selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using the Sexual Satisfaction Scale by Hudson and Harrison (1981), the Sexual Mindfulness Scale by Adam et al. (2015), and the Body Image Concern Inventory by Littleton et al. (2005). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 24.
Findings: The results revealed a significant negative relationship between body image concern and sexual satisfaction (β = -0.26, p < 0.05). Sexual mindfulness was positively and significantly associated with sexual satisfaction (β = 0.95, p = 0.001) and negatively related to body image concern (β = -0.34, p < 0.05). Furthermore, moderation analysis indicated that sexual mindfulness significantly moderated the relationship between body image concern and sexual satisfaction, with stronger negative effects observed at lower levels of mindfulness.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that sexual mindfulness functions as a protective factor that mitigates the negative impact of body image concern on sexual satisfaction. Enhancing sexual mindfulness in psychological and counseling interventions may improve marital relationship quality and promote greater sexual satisfaction among couples.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Zohreh Ghanbari, Simin Hosseinian, Azadeh Taheri (Author)
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