The Mediating Roles of Objectified Body Consciousness About Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Among International Students in China

Background: Studies on acceptance of cosmetic surgery may not be cross-culturally invariant, but little is known about it in non-Western populations. Therefore, it is necessary to develop cross-cultural research on it.

Methods: 230 international students in China aged 18-27 years (M = 21.69, SD = 1.93) participated in the questionnaire investigation. We conducted difference tests, correlation, multiple regression, and mediation model analysis.

Results: The study shows that (a) there were no significant differences in acceptance of cosmetic surgery among international students in China by demographics; (b) higher acceptance of cosmetic surgery scores was significantly positively correlated with objectified body consciousness and sociocultural attitudes towards appearance influenced by media; (c) objectified body consciousness, that is, perceptions of and reactions to one's body as the object of others' gaze, was not only the first predictor of acceptance of cosmetic surgery among international students in China but also a mediating variable between sociocultural attitudes towards appearance and acceptance of cosmetic surgery.

Conclusions: It suggests that to intervene international students in China to have a correct attitude towards cosmetic surgery and promote their physical and mental health, we should not only pay attention to changes in the social culture but also focus on their objectified body consciousness. This study is a powerful supplement to the existing cross-cultural research on acceptance of cosmetic surgery, which provides necessary references for universities and colleges about the mental health education and management of international students in China.

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