Body image perception among school children

Nutrition Research Newsletter, August, 2004

Research on body image perception and dissatisfaction during childhood has, by and large, been confined to adolescents. Increasingly, however, attention has been focused on younger subjects with the general aim of ascertaining the origins of the distorted views of body image. Obesity and distorted body perception can both lead to serious physical and psychological problems. Most studies of body image perceptions and obesity have been conducted among suburban populations. Very little is known about the body image perceptions of children from rural areas and urban areas where a high prevalence of obesity and overweight have been reported.

The objective of this study was to determine whether there is an association between body image perception and weight status as measured by the body mass index (BMI) among a group of fourth graders in Maryland. The subjects of this study were 524 fourth-grade public school students (54% girls; 61% white; mean age, 9.2 years) from three geographically distinct regions in Maryland (38.6% urban 30.7% suburban, 30.7% rural). Cross-sectional data on height weight, and body image were collected in the classroom At risk for being overweight and being overweight designations were assigned to participants with BMI percentile values for age and sex of > 85 to <95 and BMI >95, respectively. Students selected a figure to represent their current and ideal images.

Thirteen percent of students were overweight, and 15% were at risk of overweight. There was no association between weight status and race, body image perception or geographic location. African Americans chose larger figures than whites and other races to represent their current and ideal images and were most satisfied with their body size. Children from the urban area appear to be more satisfied with their body size than children from the other areas. Although no significant difference was noted in weight status of subjects based on geographic location more children from rural schools than urban schools were desirous of a smaller figure. Notably, urban students had a larger ideal image than suburban and rural students In addition, the overweight urban students were more likely to be satisfied with their body image than the overweight suburban and rural students. This may relate to differing cultural standards for beauty in different geographic locations.

Perceptions of body image are formed early in life. Dietitians can provide guidance on appropriate weight and body size to children, parents, and school professionals Dietitians can also use their influence to secure funding for nutrition education programs.

C Welch, S Gross, Y Bronner, N Dewberry-Moore D Paige. Discrepancies in body image perception among fourth-grade public school children from urban, suburban and rural Maryland. J Am Diet Assoc 104:1080-1085 (July 2004) [Correspondence: Claudette Welch, PhD, Research Associate, Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, WIC Program, Johns Hopkins University, 111 Market Place, Suite 850, Baltimore, MD 21202 USA; Email: cwelch@jhsph.edu]