Tuning in: how interoception shapes body image across early adolescence

Early adolescence is a critical time marked by dynamic changes in physiology, appearance and social environment. These changes are also reflected in how adolescents perceive themselves, in-cluding their bodies. The transition from pre-pubertal through pubertal stages allows us to con-sider the development of the self from the perspective of how body perception, both from within and from the outside, changes. While research in adults and post-puberty adolescents suggests that lower interoceptive accuracy is associated with greater body image concerns, how these fac-tors interact during puberty remains unknown. We tested a sample of 181 girls (aged 10-14 years), spanning from pre-puberty to post-puberty, on measures of interoceptive accuracy and behavioural and self-report measures of body image. Lower interoceptive accuracy predicted greater body image dissatisfaction. Moreover, this relationship was moderated by puberty stage, showing that the protective effect of higher interoceptive accuracy against body image dissatis-faction was stronger during more advanced stages of puberty. Our findings show that interocep-tive influences extend from the basic multisensory integration to conscious attitudes about our body during a critical developmental period, highlighting the positive role that better interocep-tion can play in mental health.