Body image dissatisfaction in adolescent girls in puberty

Gustavo André Borges ,Pedro Pugliesi Abdalla,Dalmo Roberto Lopes Machado,João Fernando Christofoletti,Dayane Cristina De Souza ,Andréia Pelegrini

doi:10.33448/rsd-v10i13.21524

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze body image satisfaction among girls from different pubertal groups using two assessment instruments. The sample consisted of 82 adolescent girls, aged 11 to 14 years, divided into two groups: pre- and post-menarche. The Kakeshita’s Body Image Scale (BIS) and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) were used to assess body image dissatisfaction. For comparisons of anthropometric variables between pubertal groups, Student's t-test was used for independent samples. Comparisons between BMI classifications, body image satisfaction and desire for body image change were performed using chi-square and binomial tests for both groups. For the comparison between the instruments, the Kappa coefficient (K) was calculated. The results showed that, for BIS, more than 81% of adolescents showed dissatisfaction, being higher among adolescents in post-menarche. For BSQ, the prevalence of body dissatisfaction was lower, but the results did not confirm those previously observed. In both instruments (BIS and BSQ), there were no differences between groups. However, the study indicated a tendency for post-menarche girls to show greater dissatisfaction in relation to pre-menarche adolescents, while the instruments used do not show agreement in the results.

Highlights

Body Image (BI) can be understood as the figure of our body formed in our mind, being the way in which the body is involved by immediate sensations and experiences (Schilder, 2010)
Regarding the classification of the nutritional status of adolescent by group, the results showed that the majority of adolescents (63.4%; n=51) were in the eutrophy range (BMI≤25 kg/m2)
When we tried to test the concordance of the two instruments for the evaluation of body dissatisfaction in pre- and post-menarche groups, the results show that there was no agreement between the classifications observed by the Body Image Scale (BIS) and the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ)

Summary

Introduction

Body Image (BI) can be understood as the figure of our body formed in our mind, being the way in which the body is involved by immediate sensations and experiences (Schilder, 2010). The BI refers to a complex and multifaceted construct that involves perceptual, cognitive and behavioral aspects of the subject. The difference between the subjective perception of personal self-image in relation to the socially desired one is accompanied by the subject's own disapproval or dissatisfaction because it expresses the desire for a body different from the real one. The adolescents value the body even more and are more susceptible to negative observations from overweight than when they are adults. When young people are overweight, they carry a negative stigma in relation to people with the expected body shape (Mattos et al, 2012)

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