Body Image Perception among Adolescent students in a private School in Thrissur, Kerala
Abstract
Introduction: Body image perception is the way a person feels about his/her body and these feelings can be positive, negative or both. It is ever changing, and is influenced by individual and environmental factors. It can be both self-perceived or as perceived by others like family, friends, peer group, teachers etc.
Objectives: To assess the body image perception of adolescents and the associated factors and to assess the effect of family, friends, peers and others on the body image perception of adolescents.
Methodology: This was a cross sectional study. Four divisions from classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 of a private school, Thrissur were randomly selected. There were 179 students in total. A pretested self administered questionnaire was used to collect data.
Results: The proportion of boys (50.3%) and girls (49.7%) were almost equal. In this study 65.4% of the adolescents were having normal BMI for their age.26.2% of the subjects had overweight and 8.4% of the subjects were undernourished. Varying degrees of negative body image perception was seen among 84.91% of subjects. Erroneous body size perception was seen among 36.8% of the subjects. This was statistically significant. A larger proportion of females (40.4%) compared to males (23.4%) was dissatisfied by their body size. Mean BMI was significantly higher in those who were not satisfied with their body size and those who had tried to lose weight in their past. Negative correlation was observed between body image perception and academic performance of the students.
Conclusion: A high proportion of adolescents had negative body image perception. Targeted activities have to be carried out to improve their perception.
Downloads
References
2. MacMillan Dictionary for Students. MacMillan Pan Limited 1981; p14.
3. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adolescence
4. http://www.who.int/topics/adolescent_health/en/
5. Heron KE, Smyth JM, Akano E, Wonderlich SA. Assessing body image in young children: a preliminary study of racial and developmental differences. SAGE Open 2013; 3(1):32-34
6. Damiano SR, Gregg KJ, Spiel EC, et al. Relationships between body size attitudes and body image of 4-year-old boys and girls, and attitudes of their fathers and mothers. J Eat Disord. 2015 Apr 10;3:16. doi: 10.1186/s40337-015-0048-0. eCollection 2015.[pubmed]
7. Sophia B Greene. Body Image: Perceptions Interpretation and attitudes. Nova Science Publishers 2011.
8. Lightstone J. Improving body image. 2011. Available at URL: www.edreferral.com/body_image.htm
9. Chang FC, Lee CM, Chen PH, et al. Association of thin-ideal media exposure, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors among adolescents in Taiwan. Eat Behav. 2013 Aug;14(3):382-5. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2013.05.002. Epub 2013 May 24.[pubmed]
10. Bucchianeri MM, Arikian AJ, Hannan PJ, et al. Body dissatisfaction from adolescence to young adulthood: findings from a 10-year longitudinal study. Body Image. 2013 Jan;10(1):1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.09.001. Epub 2012 Oct 18.[pubmed]
11. Ramberan K et al. Ethnicity, body image perception and weight related behaviour among adolescent females attending secondary school in Trinidad. West Indian Med J 2006. 56 (6): 388-93.
12. http://nrhm.gov.in/nrhm-components/rmnch-a/adolescent-health/adolescenthealth/background.html
13. http://southasia.oneworld.net/news/over-50-adolescent-girls-in-india-anaemicunicef#.VCRRGZSSxGY
14. M ShashidharKotian. Prevalence and Determinants of overweight and obesity among adolescent school children of south Karnataka, India. IJCM 2010; 35(1): 176-178.
15. DT Simeon et al. Body image of adolescents in a Multi-ethnic Caribbean population; European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2003; 57: 157-162.
16. K Ramesh et al. Body weight/ image perceptions and prevalence of obesity among adolescents – Kerala, India. Int J of Health and Allied Sciences 2012; 1 (2): 92- 97.
17. Chavada V K et al. Prevalence and perceptions regarding obesity, body image and weight reducing practices among college girls in Mumbai, India; Global Science Heritage. AvailableatURL:http://globalscienceheritage.org/resources/volume-1-issue-2/prevalence-andperceptions-regarding-obesity-body-image-and-weight-reducing-practices-amongcollege-girls-of-mumbai-india/
18. Dixit S, Agarwal G, Singh J, et al. A study on consciousness of adolescent girls about their body image. Indian J Community Med. 2011 Jul;36(3):197-202. doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.86520.[pubmed]
19. AndreiaPelegrini et al. Dissatisfaction with body image among adolescent students: Association with socio demographic factors and nutritional status. SciELO 2014; 19 (4): 1201-1208.
20. Farah Wahida Z, Mohd Nasir MT, Hazizi AS. Physical activity, eating behaviour and body image perception among young adolescents in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Malays J Nutr. 2011 Dec;17(3):325-36.
21. Pon Jr LW, Kandiah M, Mohd Nasir MT. Body image perception, dietary practices and physical activity of overweight and normal weight Malaysian female adolescents.MalaysJ Nutr 2004; 10(2): 131- 147.
22. Bahreynian M, Qorbani M, Motlagh ME, et al. Association of Perceived Weight Status versus Body Mass Index on Adherence to Weight-modifying plan Among Iranian Children and Adolescents: The CASPIAN-IV Study. Indian Pediatr. 2015 Oct;52(10):857-63.[pubmed]
23. Pallan MJ, Hiam LC, Duda JL, et al. Body image, body dissatisfaction and weight status in South Asian children: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2011 Jan 9;11:21. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-21.
24. Costa LdCF, Silva DAS, Alvarenga MdS, de VasconcelosFdAG. Association between body image dissatisfaction and obesity among schoolchildren aged7e10years. PhysiolBehav 2016; 160:6- 11.
25. Body image dissatisfaction and its determinants among young primary-school adolescents,Azmira Ab. Latiff, MBBS (UM), Juliawati Muhamad, MMed (Fam Med) (USM) and Razlina A. Rahman, MMed (Fam Med) (USM)*4 May 2017;13(1)36-37
Copyright (c) 2019 Author (s). Published by Siddharth Health Research and Social Welfare Society
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
OAI - Open Archives Initiative
