Psychosocial characteristics of young Norwegian women interested in liposuction, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, and abdominoplasty: a population-based study

Abstract

Background: The present study investigated various psychosocial factors expected to predict an interest in liposuction, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, and abdominoplasty.

Methods: Questionnaire data were obtained from 1862 participants who responded to a survey distributed to a representative sample of 3500 women from northern Norway aged 18 to 35 years.

Results: Liposuction was the most popular procedure (25 percent), followed by breast augmentation (15 percent), rhinoplasty (7.0 percent), and abdominoplasty (5.6 percent). Most of the women interested in rhinoplasty and breast augmentation reported interest in more than one procedure, whereas the vast majority of women interested in abdominoplasty were not interested in any other procedure. Multiple regression analyses showed that a low level of education, indicators of social acceptance of cosmetic surgery, and negative appearance evaluation were predictors of an interest in all procedures. Body dysmorphic disorder-like symptoms, appearance orientation, and teasing history were predictors of an interest in all procedures except for abdominoplasty, whereas having children was a predictor of all procedures except for rhinoplasty. Divorce rate and eating disorder were predictors of an interest in liposuction only. Univariate regression analyses showed that the Big-Five personality traits were associated with all procedures except abdominoplasty.

Conclusions: It appears that women interested in abdominoplasty may be motivated by a desire to repair the bodily changes occurring after childbirth, whereas women interested in liposuction, breast augmentation, and rhinoplasty may have more complex psychological factors associated with their interest in cosmetic surgery. The findings of this study provide increased knowledge about psychosocial factors characterizing women interested in liposuction, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, and abdominoplasty.