Abstract
BackgroundPerceived body appearance and body satisfaction are potentially related to weight problems and poor health. The purpose of this study was to examine how gender, and ethnic differences in body satisfaction, perceived body appearance and weight status change by age in a representative sample of U.S. adolescents 11–17 years old.MethodsWe used the US Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) 2001 survey which assessed perceived body appearance, body satisfaction, self-reported body mass index (BMI) and socio-demographic indicators. The associations between age and perceived appearance, age and body satisfaction, and between z-transformed BMI and body satisfaction were analyzed using separate non-parametric regression models for both genders and the three ethnic groups.ResultsBody satisfaction did not vary significantly by age except for an increase with age in the proportion of Non-Hispanic White girls who perceived themselves as too fat. Although boys did not report being too fat unless their BMI was above the age- and gender-specific median, one third of Non-Hispanic White girls felt too fat at or below the age- and gender-specific median. Compared to other ethnicities, African-American students’ perceived appearance was significantly more positive and they were less likely to perceive themselves overweight at higher BMI scores. However, during adolescence, the positive self-reported perceived appearance of African-American boys dropped substantially while it remained relatively stable in African-American girls.ConclusionsThere were substantial differences in body satisfaction and perceived appearance across the three largest ethnic groups of school-age children in the U.S. Stability across age indicates that these perceptions are most likely established before the age of 10 and underline the importance of primary schools and parents in prevention. Special attention should be directed to the dramatic loss of positive perceived appearance among African-American boys.
Highlights
Perceived body appearance and body satisfaction are potentially related to weight problems and poor health
Description of the sample Gender and age distributions were similar across the three ethnic groups, but the proportion of children from high-affluent families was much higher in Non-Hispanic Whites (Table 1)
There are substantial differences in perceived appearance and body satisfaction across the three largest ethnic groups of school-age children in the U.S.: While NonHispanic Whites and Hispanics have similar perceptions about body image, both groups differ from AfricanAmericans
Summary
Perceived body appearance and body satisfaction are potentially related to weight problems and poor health. The purpose of this study was to examine how gender, and ethnic differences in body satisfaction, perceived body appearance and weight status change by age in a representative sample of U.S adolescents 11–17 years old. There is a large body of evidence addressing the differences in weight, weight perceptions, satisfaction with weight and their links with perceived appearance and attractiveness across ethnic groups in multiethnic populations like those in the USA Parental and children’s own behaviors join to influence weight and weight perceptions in early childhood and kindergarten years. Children’s media consumption increases during this period and can contribute to perceptions of weight, appearance and attractiveness [29]. The age at which perceptions become stable or change is understudied
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