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Perceived and Ideal Body Image Perceptions among American and Czech Children and Parents
Author(s) -
Humenikova Lenka,
Gates Gail
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a1048
Subject(s) - czech , anthropometry , perception , bivariate analysis , psychology , developmental psychology , medicine , demography , mathematics , sociology , philosophy , linguistics , neuroscience , statistics
Objective: To evaluate body image perceptions of Czech school‐aged children and their parents and compare them to the perceptions of American children and parents. Design: Descriptive correlational study. Data from children and parents were collected using a previously developed silhouette body image instrument. Setting: Public schools in one American and two Czech cities. Participants: 97 Czech and 45 American 4–6 th graders and their parents from urban public schools. Variables Measured: Demographic and anthropometric variables, and perceived and ideal body images of children and parents. Analysis: Independent t‐tests compared perceptions between children and parents. Paired t‐tests compared differences between children’s and parents’ perceived and ideal body size. Bivariate correlations identified significant associations between body image perceptions and other variables. Results: American children had a thinner ideal body image compared to Czech children (p<0.05). The ideal body image of American and Czech parents was similar (p=0.858). Parental education was significantly associated with a thinner ideal body image among American children (p<0.05). Conclusions: American children are more dissatisfied with their body size than Czech children. Future studies should explore factors responsible for American children developing a thinner ideal body image compared to Czech children.