The mediating role of social comparison in relation to early maladaptive schemas with attitudes related to body image of female students with obesity

This study aimed to determine the mediating role of social comparison about early maladaptive schemas with the body image of female students with obesity. The research method is a description of structural equations. The statistical population of this study consisted of all female high school students with obesity in Tehran from 1401-1400, among 208 people selected as a sample by the purposive sampling method. Data collection tools included The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBRSQ, Cash & Pruzinsky, 1965), the Schema Questionnaire Short form (YSQSF, Young, 1999), the social comparison Questionnaire (SCQ, Gibbons & Bunck, 1991). The results showed that the schematic domains of disconnection and rejection (P=0.001), Impaired autonomy and performance (P=0.027), impaired limits (P=0.001), other-directedness (P=0.001) have a negative and significant direct effect on social comparison, except for the excessive vigilance (P=0.946). Also, social comparison (P=0.001) has a direct effect on body image in a negative and significant way, And all four domains, except the excessive vigilance, have a positive and significant indirect relationship with body image through social comparison (P<0.05). However, the social comparison between the domain of excessive vigilance and with body image of obese female students doesn’t play a mediating role (P>0.05). Consequently, the social comparison between the domains of disconnection and rejection, Impaired autonomy and performance, impaired limits, and other-directedness with the body image of obese female students plays a mediating role. the results showed that the proposed research model had a good fit.