Body appreciation at work: Examining indirect effects in the relationship between job demands, job resources, and workplace well-being

Abstract

Psychosocial conditions at work play a key role in physical and mental health. Despite evidence of a relationship with these conditions and their outcomes, body image has been largely absent from workplace well-being research. The current study drew from the Job Demands-Resources Model to address this gap by conceptualising body appreciation, a component of positive body image, as a personal resource connecting focal job demands and job resources with workplace well-being. A total of N = 402 working adults aged 20–65 years (49 % Women) from the United Kingdom were recruited via Prolific to complete an online cross-sectional survey. Greater emotional demands and lower manager support were associated with lower body appreciation which, in turn, was associated with greater burnout, and poorer work engagement and job satisfaction. No gender differences were observed in these relationships, nor associations between quantitative or cognitive demands, or colleague support, and body appreciation. The study underlines the need for a greater focus on body image in employee well-being. Future research would benefit from prospective designs accounting for the complex interrelationships between a range of body image indicators, body-related demands and resources, and influences at the team and organisational-level.