Gender Differences in Body Dissatisfaction and its Relationship with Self-Reported Food Preferences Among Colombian Early Adolescents
Advisor Information
Dr. Jonathan Santo
Location
MBSC 201
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
6-3-2020 9:00 AM
End Date
6-3-2020 10:15 AM
Abstract
Body dissatisfaction, the incongruity between an individual’s perception of their body and what they consider an ideal body, is associated with negative adjustment outcomes for children and adolescents. Females report greater body dissatisfaction. In the current study among Colombian early adolescents, eating behaviors, food preferences, and the discrepancy between the two were investigated as predictors of ideal and actual body size.
Participants, 420 early adolescents (Mage=9.49, SD=0.67; 70.47% female) from six all-girl and six mixed-sex classes in Bogotá, Colombia, completed questionnaires in Spanish. Food consumption was measured by asking participants whether they had eaten “meat/fish”, “fruits/vegetables”, “bread/cereal”, and “milk products” in the last 24 hours, and for what meal/snack they ate each. Perceived and ideal body size were measured by showing seven diagrams of a same-sex child, ranging from very thin to very obese, with the middle diagram depicting a healthy weight. Participants chose which picture they felt they looked like and which they would like to look like. We employed structural equation modeling in M-Plus.
Girls selected thinner preferred body sizes and reported greater body dissatisfaction. Consuming more breads and cereal was associated with more body dissatisfaction. Eating more fruits and vegetables predicted less body dissatisfaction.
This study demonstrates that eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction are related. The findings may contribute to the development of interventions for adolescents with body dissatisfaction. The study also contributes to the literature by providing a sample of Latinx adolescents in Colombia, whereas most research in the field has been focused on WEIRD populations.
Gender Differences in Body Dissatisfaction and its Relationship with Self-Reported Food Preferences Among Colombian Early Adolescents
MBSC 201
Body dissatisfaction, the incongruity between an individual’s perception of their body and what they consider an ideal body, is associated with negative adjustment outcomes for children and adolescents. Females report greater body dissatisfaction. In the current study among Colombian early adolescents, eating behaviors, food preferences, and the discrepancy between the two were investigated as predictors of ideal and actual body size.
Participants, 420 early adolescents (Mage=9.49, SD=0.67; 70.47% female) from six all-girl and six mixed-sex classes in Bogotá, Colombia, completed questionnaires in Spanish. Food consumption was measured by asking participants whether they had eaten “meat/fish”, “fruits/vegetables”, “bread/cereal”, and “milk products” in the last 24 hours, and for what meal/snack they ate each. Perceived and ideal body size were measured by showing seven diagrams of a same-sex child, ranging from very thin to very obese, with the middle diagram depicting a healthy weight. Participants chose which picture they felt they looked like and which they would like to look like. We employed structural equation modeling in M-Plus.
Girls selected thinner preferred body sizes and reported greater body dissatisfaction. Consuming more breads and cereal was associated with more body dissatisfaction. Eating more fruits and vegetables predicted less body dissatisfaction.
This study demonstrates that eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction are related. The findings may contribute to the development of interventions for adolescents with body dissatisfaction. The study also contributes to the literature by providing a sample of Latinx adolescents in Colombia, whereas most research in the field has been focused on WEIRD populations.