BACKGROUND: Brazil ranks third among all countries in the number of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed per year. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between acceptance of plastic surgery and bodily satisfaction, internalization of media messages, and other psychosocial variables in a convenience sample of male and female Brazilian adults. METHODS: Non-probabilistic sampling was used to select a sample (n = 198) of an equal number of men and women for voluntary participation. All participants completed 5 study instruments that collected data used to perform correlation and variance analyses at a 95% level of significance. RESULTS: A significant association between acceptance of cosmetic plastic surgery and the variables of internalization of media messages and bodily appreciation was found in both sexes. A significant association between acceptance of cosmetic plastic surgery and life satisfaction was found only in women. Except for differences regarding the decision to undergo surgery after having considered the risks, no other differences regarding the acceptance of cosmetic plastic surgery in general were found between men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the small sample examined in this study, the findings largely accord with international observations and are expected to contribute to further understanding of the demand for cosmetic plastic surgery in Brazil.
Surgery; plastic; Propaganda; Personal satisfaction
