Background: Social media and cultural pressures in contemporary society have made fear of being single, self-objectification, and body dissatisfaction serious mental health challenges for young women. Although each construct has been individually linked to low self-esteem, no comprehensive study has simultaneously examined these relationships in an Iranian female population.
Objective: This study aims to investigate the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between fear of being single and both body dissatisfaction and self-objectification among young Iranian women.
Method: Using a descriptive-correlational design, a minimum of 300 single Iranian women aged 20–35 will be recruited via online convenience sampling. Validated instruments—the Fear of Being Single Scale (Spielmann et al., 2013), the Appearance Evaluation subscale of the MBSRQ, the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (McKinley & Hyde, 1996), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale—will be administered online. Data will be analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrap mediation testing (Preacher & Hayes approach), with age and BMI controlled.
Significance: Findings are expected to clarify the psychological pathway through which marriage-related social pressures contribute to negative body image, and to inform targeted preventive and therapeutic interventions focused on strengthening self-esteem in young Iranian women.
Rafezi,Z , Abbasi,M , Balali,N , Koohdar,Z and Hassan Babaei,M . (2026). The relationship between fear of being single and body dissatisfaction and self-esteem: The mediating role of self-esteem in young Iranian women. (e21544). کارگروه اخلاق در پژوهش, (), e21544 doi: 10.22054/ethics.2026.93684.1584
MLA
Rafezi,Z , , Abbasi,M , , Balali,N , , Koohdar,Z , and Hassan Babaei,M . "The relationship between fear of being single and body dissatisfaction and self-esteem: The mediating role of self-esteem in young Iranian women" .e21544 , کارگروه اخلاق در پژوهش, , , 2026, e21544. doi: 10.22054/ethics.2026.93684.1584
HARVARD
Rafezi Z, Abbasi M, Balali N, Koohdar Z, Hassan Babaei M. (2026). 'The relationship between fear of being single and body dissatisfaction and self-esteem: The mediating role of self-esteem in young Iranian women', کارگروه اخلاق در پژوهش, (), e21544. doi: 10.22054/ethics.2026.93684.1584
CHICAGO
Z Rafezi, M Abbasi, N Balali, Z Koohdar and M Hassan Babaei, "The relationship between fear of being single and body dissatisfaction and self-esteem: The mediating role of self-esteem in young Iranian women," کارگروه اخلاق در پژوهش, (2026): e21544, doi: 10.22054/ethics.2026.93684.1584
VANCOUVER
Rafezi Z, Abbasi M, Balali N, Koohdar Z, Hassan Babaei M. The relationship between fear of being single and body dissatisfaction and self-esteem: The mediating role of self-esteem in young Iranian women. SSRI Ethics Committee. 2026;():e21544 (In Persian). doi: 10.22054/ethics.2026.93684.1584