Influence of family health and body image on risk eating behaviors in teenagers

Abstract

Family health is challenged during a teenagers’ teen years due to the aspects of this life cycle stage; teenagers are more vulnerable to experience dissatisfaction with their body image and engage in risk eating behaviors (REB). The aim of this research was to analyze family health as a predictor of body image and the influence of both, family health and body image, for REB in teenagers. A sample of 361 adolescents from central, northeastern, and southeastern Mexico were randomly chosen: 151 men and 210 women between the ages of 11-19 years old. Structural equation model using parceling technique provided an alternate model (ή2REB=.91, p<.005), indicating that family health can predict negative or positive body image (γBI=. - 41, p<.005), and this in turn predicts REB (βREB=.95, p<.005). Considering the finding, is concluded that influence of family health on the REB of adolescents can only be explained through body image.