Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

03 Jun 2024

UP Diliman

Filipina labor migrants in Hong Kong reject stereotypes by embracing their own identity and way of life

The study is mainly concerned with giving an opportunity to Filipina labor migrants in Hong Kong to voice out their...

Read More

30 May 2024

UP Diliman

Agricultural expansion and migrations over the last 10,000 years significantly influenced genetic, cultural and linguistic diversity across the globe

This review delves into the expansive journey of human history over the last 10,000 years, a period known as the...

Read More

27 May 2024

UP Diliman

The classical guitarist’s plucking techniques can be accurately classified using multimedia signal processing

In classical guitar performances, various plucking gestures can be employed to evoke different tonal qualities in the produced sound. To...

Read More

22 May 2024

UP Diliman

Both parental and peer attachments are important to a student’s life at university but they play different roles

This research explores a vital aspect of a student’s life during their first year at university. It examines how the...

Read More

16 May 2024

UP Diliman

Philippine museums use Filipino and English more often, putting aside minority and marginalized languages

The study looks at how Filipino, English, and multilingual signs are displayed in select Philippine museums. It analyzes not only...

Read More

15 May 2024

UP Manila

Digital health initiatives helped transgender Filipinos access sexual and reproductive healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic

Stringent lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and the systemic exclusion of transgender (trans) experiences and narratives in sexual and reproductive...

Read More

10 May 2024

UP Cebu

A combination of uncertainty and alliance-building may be the Philippines’ best approach to the South China Sea disputes

The research delves into the complexities of the South China Sea issues, proposing a fresh approach for countries like the...

Read More

02 May 2024

UP Diliman

Mussels cultivated in Manila Bay are contaminated with feces from sewage, agricultural, and diffuse sources

Manila Bay, a multipurpose body of water located around Metro Manila, Philippines, is continuously degrading because of pollution. Reports have...

Read More

30 Apr 2024

UP Visayas

The framework of being (agi) and becoming (kaagian) from Western Visayan poetry enriches our understanding of “queerness” without western/Eurocentric theorizing

This paper analyzes poetry written by self-identified Agi (Panayanon indigenous gay identity) using the concept of power called gahum as...

Read More

29 Apr 2024

UP Cebu

People with lower levels of education are more likely to trust in the television as an institution

This study is significant as it aims to provide empirical evidence on the celebrity culture, i.e. the pervasive fascination of...

Read More

26 Apr 2024

UP Diliman

Oyster shell and rice husk can be turned into low-cost building materials with antimicrobial properties

The development of green and low-cost functional building materials is increasingly becoming one of the primary goals in the construction...

Read More

11 Apr 2024

UP Diliman

A multimedia-based intervention has the potential to improve social learning and adaptive skills of students with autism spectrum disorder

An evaluation was conducted to examine the potential effectiveness of a multimedia-based intervention, with the participation of 30 Filipino public...

Read More

Research

Among Filipino emerging adults, prevalence rates of severe and extreme levels of depression, anxiety, and stress are relatively high. High levels of body association (BA) are associated with lowering the risk of having severe or extreme levels of depression, anxiety, or stress. Males are more at risk of developing severe or extreme levels of poor mental health outcomes, particularly those males who are more prone to severe or extreme levels of stress brought about by low BA. Routinary screening of mental health not only among emerging adults but also among the general population, as well as explicit action to promote positive body image to support good mental health and well-being concerning our bodies, should be prioritized. This study could be a first step in demonstrating the effects of efficiently regulating body image through BA portrayed in the Philippines. Moreover, the findings may provide the foundation for the education department to promote healthy body
image and mental health status in the present curriculum.

Our findings have relevance for intervention research considering the existing literature. The consistent results that higher levels of body association are associated with a lower risk of having severe to extreme depression, anxiety, or stress point to the need for intervention research into how emerging adults can be taught to draw on appropriate personal and collective resources to mitigate the effects of low body appreciation (BA). Furthermore, our results on effect modification, wherein males showed an increased risk of having severe or extreme stress levels relative to females, are possibly a starting point in targeted interventions. Specifically, the gender moderation on stress levels is influenced by different BA levels. The current findings imply that an intervention may benefit emerging people in exploring how their mental health is affected by their body image, particularly those who are males. In general, there is a need to monitor and address body image trends that affect not only emerging adults but also those at earlier stages of development.

Authors:

Zypher Jude G. Regencia (Department of Clinical Epidemiology, College of Medicine,
University of the Philippines Manila | Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institutes of Health,
University of the Philippines Manila), Mary Ann J. Ladia (Department of Clinical Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila | Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila), Jaime C. Montoya (Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila), Margaret Gamalo (Global Product Development–I&I Statistics, Global Biometrics and Data Management, Pfizer Innovative Health), Jean-Philippe Gouin (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Concordia University) and Emmanuel S. Baja Department of Clinical Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila | Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila)

Read full paper: https://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/accepted-articles/128-vol-153-no-2-april-2024/2059-association-between-body-appreciation-and-depression-anxiety-and-stress-among-filipino-emerging-adults-modification-by-age-and-sex-at-birth

Image from https://hhsmedia.com/37314/feature/social-medias-effects-on-body-image-and-mental-health/