Self-perceived body image and body satisfaction of adolescents

across-sectional study carried out with 200 adolescents from a non-govern-mental organization of Campinas-SP. Self-perceived body image was assessed using a scale of silhouettes and body satisfaction by body areas. Association between sociodemographic and anthropometric data and body image and satisfaction were assessed by logistic regres-sion.

Results:

seventy percent of normal weight boys and 88% of girls wrongly perceived their nutritional status according to the objective standards. The prevalence of body dissatisfac-tion was 76.5%. Twenty-two percent of adolescents reported dissatisfaction with their body shape. Self-perceived body image was associated with nutritional status (OR= 0.25; CI95%=0.09-0.73), abdominal obesity (Waist/Height ratio- WHR) (OR=26.57; CI95%=3.98-177.18), and gender (OR=2.65; CI95%=1.16-6.05).

Conclusions:

we identified an important distortion and dissatisfaction with body shape. Girls, overweight/obese adolescents and those with abdominal obesity have more chance to this condition. These findings can subsidize actions that deal with the issue of acceptance of self-image, preventing more serious disorders that may directly affect the health of young-sters.

Key words:
Adolescent; Body image; Nutritional status

Variables	Underestimated weight perception (N= 64)		Satisfied (N=47)		Overestimated weight perception (N=89)		p
Variables	n	%	n	%	n	%	p
Gender							0.06^* * Chi-square test;
Male	32	50.0	25	53.2	31	34.8
Female	32	50.0	22	46.8	58	65.2
Race/Ethnicity							0.74^* * Chi-square test;
White	13	20.3	8	17.0	23	25.8
Black	17	26.6	17	36.2	23	25.8
Brown	30	46.8	19	40.4	35	39.4
Others	4	6.3	3	6.4	8	9.0
Age range (years)							0.81^† † linear trend test;
10 - 14	55	86.0	42	89.4	80	89.9
15 - 18	9	14.0	5	10.6	9	10.1
Economic class^‡ ‡ Missing=1.							0.08^† † linear trend test;
D-E	20	31.2	12	25.5	21	23.9
C2	29	45.3	27	57.4	36	40.9
C1-B2	15	23.5	8	17.1	31	35.2
Nutritional status							<0.001^† † linear trend test;
Normal weight	46	71.8	15	32.0	10	11.2
Overweight	10	15.7	12	25.5	13	14.6
Obese	8	12.5	20	42.5	66	74.2
Abdominal obesity (WC)							<0.001^* * Chi-square test;
No	61	95.3	39	83.0	48	54.0
Yes	3	4.7	8	17.0	41	46.0
Abdominal obesity (WHR)							<0.001^* * Chi-square test;
No	63	98.4	44	93.6	50	56.2
Yes	1	1.6	3	6.4	39	43.8

Variables	Satisfied		Dissatisfied		p
	Score > 45 (N=156)		Score ≤ 45 (N=44)
	n	%	n	%
Gender					0.01^* * Chi-square test;
Male	76	48.7	12	27.3
Female	80	51.3	32	72.7
Race/Ethnicity					0.05^* * Chi-square test;
White	35	22.4	9	20.4
Black	49	31.4	8	18.2
Brown	64	41.0	20	45.4
Others	8	5.2	7	16.0
Age range (years)					0.30^† † Linear trend test.
10 - 14	140	89.8	37	84.0
15 - 18	16	10.2	7	16.0
Economic class					0.03^† † Linear trend test.
D-E	37	26.9	16	36.4
C2	71	45.8	21	47.7
C1 - B2	47	30.3	7	15.9
Nutritional status					0.61^† † Linear trend test.
Normal weight	56	36.0	15	34.1
Overweight	29	18.5	6	13.6
Obese	71	45.5	23	52.3
Abdominal obesity (WC)					0.07^* * Chi-square test;
No	120	77.0	28	63.7
Yes	36	23.0	16	36.3
Abdominal Obesity (WHR)					0.01^* * Chi-square test;
No	129	82.7	28	63.7
Yes	27	17.3	16	36.3

Variables	Desire to gain weight (N=64)		Desire to lose weight (N=89)
Variables	Crude analysis OR* (CI95%)	Adjusted analysis OR (CI95%)	Crude analysis OR (CI95%)	Adjusted analysis OR (CI95%)
Nutritional status
Normal weight	1	1	1	1
Overweight	0.27 (0.10-0.77)	0.25 (0.09-0.73)	1.62 (0.53-4.98)	1.35 (0.43-4.27)
Obese	0.13 (0.04-0.36)	0.14 (0.04-0.45)	4.95 (1.92-12.71)	2.64 (0.91-7.68)
Abdominal Obesity (WHR)
No	1	1	1	1
Yes	0.233 (0.023-2.312)	1.25 (0.07-21.99)	11.44 (3.30-39.62)	26.57 (3.98-177.18)
Gender
Male	1	-	1	-
Female	1.13 (0.53-2.41)	1.43 (0.62-3.28)	2.12 (1.03-4.36)	2.65 (1.16-6.05)

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[1] Author’s contribution

Justino MIC: data collection, interpretation of the data and drafting of the manuscript. Enes CCE: analysis of the data, interpretation of the data and critical revision of the manuscript. Nucci LB: analysis of the data and drafting of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the article.