Acculturation and Body Image Perception among Latino Youth

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Objectives. Examine the prevalence and predictors of body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating among Latino youth. Design. One hundred and sixty-seven Latino youth were surveyed as part of a tailored nutrition communication intervention. The youth's mean age was 12.81 years (SD = 2.74) and 54% were female. Mean self-rated health was 2.59 (SD = 1.02; range: 1 = good to 5 = poor), despite 70% reporting a desire to be thinner. Using age and gender-specific growth charts, 16% of the youth were classified as at risk for overweight and 34% were classified as overweight. Results. Among adolescents, girls (p ≤ 0.001), youth who were classified as at risk for or being overweight (p ≤ 0.001), and who more strongly recognized and agreed with socially sanctioned standards of appearance as represented in the media (Standardized beta St. β = 1.86, p ≤ 0.001) were more dissatisfied with their body image (R2=0.57). Among children, being at risk for or overweight (p ≤ 0.001), reporting a stronger affiliation with the Mexican culture (St. β = 0.84, p ≤ 0.01) and stronger expectations that a healthy diet was associated with improved appearance (St. β = 0.63, p ≤ 0.05) predicted greater body image dissatisfaction (R2=0.55). Conclusion. Interventions that address sociocultural attitudes toward appearance may be effective at reducing both the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating.