An Empirical Investigation of the Influence of Advertising on Body Image Among Female Adolescents in Lagos

Advertising imagery promoting idealised body standards has documented effects on body image dissatisfaction among adolescent girls globally, and empirical investigation of this relationship in the Lagos urban context, where exposure to both Western and Nollywood beauty ideals coexist, is an important contribution to Nigerian health communication research. This study empirically investigated the influence of advertising exposure to idealised body imagery on body image perceptions among female adolescents in Lagos State. A two-phase study design was employed. Phase one conducted a content analysis of 120 advertisements from three top-rating Nigerian women's magazines and five frequently accessed Instagram beauty brand accounts for body type representations. Phase two administered a validated body image assessment battery (Body Esteem Scale, Exposure to Idealised Imagery Scale) to 240 female adolescents aged 14 to 17 from six secondary schools in Lagos Island and Lagos Mainland. Regression analysis assessed the relationship between idealised body imagery exposure and body image outcomes. Content analysis showed that ultra-thin body types appeared in 67.5 percent of fashion advertisements and 73.3 percent of beauty product advertisements. Higher exposure to idealised body imagery was a significant predictor of body image dissatisfaction (beta = -0.46; p < 0.001) and disordered eating attitudes (beta = 0.38; p < 0.001). Peer comparison processes mediated the relationship between advertising exposure and body dissatisfaction. The study recommends APCON develop body image advertising guidelines and that secondary schools implement body image literacy programmes. Keywords: advertising influence, body image, female adolescents, Lagos, media effects