تاثیر وزن، جنس و نژاد/قومیت بر روی نارضایتی از بدن در کودکان شهری

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relative contributions of weight status, race/ethnicity, sex, and age on body dissatisfaction in a large group of diverse children. Participants were 4th–6th graders (N = 1212) in ten inner-city schools who participated in an obesity prevention study previously published. Children completed the body dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), and weight status was assessed by measured weights and heights. Multiple regression analyses were conducted. Relative weight status was the strongest predictor of body dissatisfaction, followed by race/ethnicity, and sex. Body dissatisfaction was greatest in obese, Asian, and female children. Overall, results indicated that children's body dissatisfaction varies based on relative weight status, as well as race/ethnicity and sex among urban children. Results highlight the strong need for additional research so that more definitive conclusions may be drawn regarding the development of body image among diverse groups of children.

Approximately one-third of children are overweight or obese (Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, Lamb, & Flegal, 2010). These children experience more body dissatisfaction than their healthy weight peers (Banitt et al., 2008, Clark and Tiggemann, 2008, Crow et al., 2006 and Goldfield et al., 2010). Despite the disproportionately high rates of obesity among Black and Hispanic children, as well as among children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) households (Franko and Edwards George, 2009, HEALTHY Study Group, 2010 and Ogden et al., 2010), the experiences of body dissatisfaction among diverse groups of children remains relatively unclear (Smolak, 2004). Given the efficacy of eating disorder prevention programs for children and adolescents that target body dissatisfaction (Stice, Ng, & Shaw, 2010), there is a need to better understand children's experiences body dissatisfaction and identify potential differences that might call for more tailored content of obesity prevention programs.