Perceived Social Media Appearance Pressure, Body Image Concerns, and Distress Tolerance Among Working Women in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Mediation Study

Abstract

Social media platforms expose working women to sustained idealized appearance content, generating a form of perfection pressure with measurable psychological consequences. This cross-sectional study examined whether perceived social media appearance pressure (SMAP) predicts body image concerns (BIC) and distress tolerance (DT) in working women in Pakistan (N = 240; Mage = 31.4, SD = 5.6), and whether BIC mediates the SMAP–DT relationship. Data collection was conducted between March and July 2023. The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) social media subscale, Body Shape Questionnaire-8C (BSQ-8C), and Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) were administered via an online survey. Hierarchical multiple regression and bootstrapped mediation analysis (PROCESS Model 4; 5,000 iterations) were conducted, with age and daily social media use as controls. SMAP significantly predicted BIC (β = .52, p < .001, R² = .31) and DT (β = −.38, p < .001). BIC partially mediated the SMAP–DT relationship (indirect effect b = −.18, 95% CI [−.27, −.09]; κ² = .21), with the direct effect remaining significant (b = −.22, p = .004). Findings indicate that social media appearance pressure erodes distress tolerance partly by generating body image concerns, but also through mechanisms beyond appearance alone. Implications for DBT-informed clinical interventions, workplace wellness programs, and future longitudinal research are discussed.