Physical Appearance Acceptance Research Articles

Development of the Children's Body Satisfaction Scale: Its psychometric characteristics for children.

Body satisfaction is a key factor in children's healthy eating and self-perception. This study aims to develop The Children's Body Satisfaction Scale to measure body image satisfaction in children, which consists of three sub-dimensions ('acceptance of physical appearance', 'weight satisfaction' and 'flexibility in the importance attached to the ideal'). The study was conducted with 473 primary school students in Ankara in 2021. The mean age of the participants, of whom 44.6% were female and 55.4% were male, was 9.38 ± 0.65 (between 8 and 10 years old). Socio-demographic Information Form, the Children's Body Satisfaction Scale (CBSS), the Children's Body Image Scale and 'physical appearance' and 'general self-esteem' sub-scales of the Self-Perception Profile for Children were used for the data collection. CBSS consists of 3 sub-dimensions and 18 items. Calculated to be 0.84, the Cronbach alpha coefficient of the scale was found to be quite high. The item-total correlations were determined to be higher than 0.20 for all the items in the scale, and the t values of the comparison of the lower and upper 27% of all the items were significant. A high level (r > 0.70) positive and significant relationship was found in the test-retest reliability of the CBSS total and sub-dimension scores. A positive and significant relationship was found between CBSS total and general self-esteem and body size satisfaction. The validity and reliability analyses of the CBSS applied as part of the study show that it has strong psychometric properties in determining the level of body image satisfaction for children aged between 8 and 10. The sub-dimensions of CBSS provide a comprehensive measure to understand body dissatisfaction in children and to test the effectiveness of intervention programmes.

Body Acceptance by Pregnant Women and Their Attitudes toward Pregnancy and Maternity as Predictors of Prenatal Depression.

Background: Depressive symptoms during pregnancy may cause unfavorable consequences for both the mother and the infant’s physiological and psychological health. Recent evidence indicates that body image plays an important role in prenatal depression. The present study’s main purpose was to investigate the level of acceptance of physical appearance in pregnant women, their attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity, and some obstetric characteristics as significant predictors in the development of depression. Methods: A sample of 150 Polish pregnant women completed a set of self-report questionnaires, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Attitudes toward Maternity and Pregnancy Questionnaire (PRE-MAMA), and the Body-Self Questionnaire (EA-BSQ). All participants also answered a brief sociodemographic and obstetric information questionnaire. Results: A hierarchical binary logistic regression was conducted to predict prenatal depression from selected obstetric variables (unplanned pregnancy, multiparity, and miscarriages) and psychological variables (appearance evaluation and positive or anxious attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity). It was found that higher levels of negative evaluation of appearance increased chances of depression in pregnant women by almost one-and-a-half. The analysis revealed that positive attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity were the most important protective factor for depression. Conclusions: The results confirmed the importance of dissatisfaction with body image during pregnancy as a predictor of the onset of prenatal depression. However, in clinical practice, this risk factor should be considered in combination with positive maternal attitudes, not separately. The implications for future studies and interventions in the field of prenatal depression are discussed in this work.

Fashion Promotion on Instagram with Eye Tracking: Curvy Girl Influencers Versus Fashion Brands in Spain and Portugal

The rise of Instagram, as the fastest growing social network in Spain and Portugal, and its incorporation into the communication strategies of beauty and fashion brands have posed some risks for younger followers in relation to the development of identity and self-esteem. A physical appearance acceptance movement has also begun, based on interaction with images, on which the social network is also based. The purpose of this research was to determine how attention is paid to fashion promotion and to the awareness of physical appearance acceptance by curvy influencers in comparison with communications by fashion brands on Instagram. The quantitative and qualitative methodology is based on the use of a biometric eye tracking technique applied to a sample of 120 participants from Spain and Portugal, matching the profile of the main users of Instagram: urban university women under 25 years old with an interest in fashion, and a self-perception as a curvy woman. The results point to more attention focused on the imperfections for which curvy influencers are raising awareness than on the fashion they promote when these awareness factors are more visible, as well as more attention focused on the fashion accessories worn by curvy brand models than those worn by the influencers, with specific and significant differences between Spanish and Portuguese audiences.

Elderly Profile of Quality of Life Using WHOQOL-BREF Indonesian Version: A Community-Dwelling

Background: Indonesia as one of the developing countries is facing a demographic transition. The proportion of under-five children is decreasing while the proportion of elderly is rising. This situation is followed by the increase of noncommunicable/degenerative diseases. However, this situation is not a constraint for the elderly to have a better life. The WHOQOL Group had developed a questionnaire to measure the elderly’s quality of life. The aim of this study was to describe the quality of life (QoL) of a community-dwelling elderly by using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire Indonesian version. Methods: Eighty eight elderly from 6 villages in Jatinangor, West Java, Indonesia were involved in a descriptive study relating to QoL by using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire Indonesian version. The inclusion criteria were men and women, aged ≥60 years, could communicate effectively, and had Mini Mental State Examination score ≥>23. The variables in the study were physical, psychological, social and environmental domains and facets in the QoL questionnaire. The collected data in the study were analyzed using the central tendency items. Results: Most respondents had low QoL scores (≤60). This study discovered that some facets of every domain in the WHOQOL-BREF had low scores, namely adequate energy, ability to perform daily living activities, satisfaction with work capacity, ability to concentrate, acceptance of physical appearance, satisfaction of sex life, financial fulfillment, availibility of information, opportunity for leisure activities and transport. Conclusions: Most of the elderly have low QoL scores in some facets of every domain in the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire.

Análise comparativa da qualidade de vida de adultos e idosos envolvidos com a prática regular de atividade física

OBJETIVO: Identificar diferenças na qualidade de vida de adultos e idosos, ambos praticantes de atividade física. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados 117 sujeitos praticantes de atividade física, com idade entre 40 e 80 anos. Para a caracterização da amostra, foram analisadas as variáveis idade, sexo, renda familiar e escolaridade. Para a comparação entre os grupos de adultos e idosos, foram analisadas as variáveis peso, estatura, índice de massa corporal, domínios e facetas da qualidade de vida (Whoqol-Bref). O teste de Kolmogorov-Smirnov foi aplicado para análise da normalidade e o teste de Mann-Whitney, para a comparação de medidas contínuas ou ordenáveis entre dois grupos independentes; adotou-se valor de p<0,05. RESULTADOS: Foram encontradas diferenças significantes para os domínios psicológico, relações sociais e qualidade de vida geral, sendo que os idosos apresentaram os maiores valores médios. CONCLUSÃO: Idosos ativos, comparados aos adultos ativos, percebem melhor qualidade de vida nos aspectos da vida ativa, do desempenho das atividades da vida diária, da aceitação da aparência física, satisfação financeira e disponibilidade de tempo para as atividades de lazer.

The influence of time on the quality of life of patients with intestinal stoma

Introductionthe changes caused by ostomy are not restricted to gastrointestinal physiology, but also affect self-esteem and body image, causing changes in family, professional, social and emotional life. Objectiveto evaluate the quality of life in ostomized patients. Methoda cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out in individuals enrolled in the Valeparaíbana Ostomy Association. We analyzed thirty individuals divided into two equal groups according to the time of the stoma: group I included individuals with up to two years and, group II, those who had been ostomized for more than two years. A form was applied to evaluate the quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF). Resultsthe acceptance of physical appearance was observed in 100% of the participants. The performance of daily activities was not limited by the use of the ostomy bag for either group and the mean occurrence of eventual negative feelings in all subjects was 40 to 60%. Regardless of the time of ostomy, those individuals who did not feel supported by family and/or spouse had a lower quality of life, with no observed association with sexual life satisfaction. Conclusionpatients with an ostomy for more than two years have a better quality of life.