Body Image Satisfaction and Acculturation in Early Adolescent Females
Body Image Satisfaction and Acculturation in Early Adolescent Females
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Issue Date
2004
Authors
Campbell, Laurie
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Abstract
This study explores the relationship between body image satisfaction and levels of acculturation in a group of female middle-school students in a large urban school district. A quantitative methodology was utilized to explore possible relationships between body image satisfaction and such variables as grade level, Body Mass Index (BMI), socio-economic status, and ethnicity. Data were collected using five questionnaires and by calculating the participants' BMI. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between those girls who identified strongly with the dominant society as measured by the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale and the Oral Control subscale ofthe EAT 26, which measured the extent to which participants limited their eating. A significant difference was found by age for those participants who were in the category of unrealistically dissatisfied with their body image. The analysis indicated a significant difference by grade level, with significantly more 7th and 8th graders scoring in the unrealistically dissatisfied category than 6th graders. Limitations of the study included the possible inaccessibility ofthe language of the different measures for this particular population. Directions for future research include the need for more sensitive measures as well as a larger sample of participants to determine if other variables such as ethnicity, menarcheal status, and socio-economic status affect participants' body image satisfaction, as some literature suggests.