Perception Of Body Satisfaction Research Articles

Perceptions of body satisfaction and desired weight loss among Tasmanian adolescents

‘Body image’ is a major concern facing young people in both rural/regional and metropolitan areas of Australia,[1] with young female reporting it as a greater concern than their male counterparts. In the interests of supporting positive body image, health promotion programs should be underpinned by an understanding of ways in which social environments impact upon adolescents' food and exercise ‘choices’ and peer influences on dieting behaviours. This short report presents key findings from the the Young People & Physical Activity Project, which involved 272 Tasmanian high school students (aged 12–16 years) and was funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (Tasmania). This pilot project sought to illuminate students' perceptions of others' eating and physical activity behaviours, and aspects of their self-image (specifically body satisfaction) relative to others. It did not seek to objectively measure students' weight/body mass index or ask students to report their physical activity levels or eating behaviours. It is believed to be one of few Australian projects linking the topic of the adolescent body image with the ‘social norms’ approach to health promotion (see, e.g.[2, 3]).

Ethnic differences in perceptions of body satisfaction and body appearance among U.S. schoolchildren: a cross-sectional study.

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.

Correlates Of Satisfaction With Body Appearance And Body Function In Older Adults

The emphasis on body image has increased over the past few decades, underscoring the importance of understanding factors associated with perceptions of body satisfaction and how body satisfaction is related to physical activity (PA) participation across all subgroups in the population. Little is known about satisfaction with body function and appearance in the older adult population. Purpose The purpose of this presentation is to examine sociodemographic, psychosocial and health-related correlates for body satisfaction in an adult population ages 50 and over from the Active for Life® (AFL) pilot year (n = 768). A secondary purpose is to explore relationships between body appearance satisfaction (BAS) and body function satisfaction (BFS) with PA while controlling for age, race, education, BMI, health rating and depressive symptoms. Methods AFL was established to learn how to deliver, sustain and evaluate evidence-based PA programs to mid-life and older adults through community organizations. Nine community grantees (in 12 geographical areas) implemented one of two evidence-based PA programs. Analyses for this presentation used baseline data from the AFL pilot year. Bivariate correlates for two dependent variables (BAS and BFS) were examined using correlation coefficients for continuous independent variables and ANOVAs for categorical independent variables; ANCOVAs were run to assess relationships between BAS and BFS with PA (MET-hrs/week of moderate-intensity PA from the CHAMPS) while controlling for sociodemographic, psychological and health-related correlates and geographical area. Results More positive BAS and BFS was associated with being female, younger age and better health ratings; lower BMI and depressive symptoms and higher levels of education and PA (all ps <0.05). In multivariate models, PA remained a significant correlate of BAS (p = 0.002) and BFS (p <0.0001) after adjusting for sex, age, race, education, BMI, health status, depressive symptoms and geographical area; the model explained 29.64% of the variance in BAS and 29.23% of the variance in BFS. Conclusions The results from this study demonstrate a significant relationship between PA and BAS and BFS in an older adult population even after adjusting for sociodemographic, psychological and demographic variables. These findings suggest the importance of PA in understanding older adults' perceptions of body satisfaction, both appearance and body function satisfaction. Programs aimed at increasing PA among older adults should consider the motivational impact of improved body appearance and physical function as desired outcomes. Funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.