Acculturation and Body Image Perception among Latino Youth

Abstract

Objectives. Examine the prevalence and predictors of body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating among Latino youth. Design. One hundred and sixty-seven Latino youth were surveyed as part of a tailored nutrition communication intervention. The youth's mean age was 12.81 years (SD = 2.74) and 54% were female. Mean self-rated health was 2.59 (SD = 1.02; range: 1 = good to 5 = poor), despite 70% reporting a desire to be thinner. Using age and gender-specific growth charts, 16% of the youth were classified as at risk for overweight and 34% were classified as overweight. Results. Among adolescents, girls (p ≤ 0.001), youth who were classified as at risk for or being overweight (p ≤ 0.001), and who more strongly recognized and agreed with socially sanctioned standards of appearance as represented in the media (Standardized beta St. β = 1.86, p ≤ 0.001) were more dissatisfied with their body image (R2=0.57). Among children, being at risk for or overweight (p ≤ 0.001), reporting a stronger affiliation with the Mexican culture (St. β = 0.84, p ≤ 0.01) and stronger expectations that a healthy diet was associated with improved appearance (St. β = 0.63, p ≤ 0.05) predicted greater body image dissatisfaction (R2=0.55). Conclusion. Interventions that address sociocultural attitudes toward appearance may be effective at reducing both the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating.