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Song and Moon: Body Image, Risk of Disturbed Eating Attitudes and Weight Control of Female Junior High School Students by the Body Mass Index in Seoul
Research Article

Korean Journal of Community Nutrition 2014; 19(2): 111-121.

Published online: 30 April 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2014.19.2.111

Body Image, Risk of Disturbed Eating Attitudes and Weight Control of Female Junior High School Students by the Body Mass Index in Seoul

Hyun-Jung Song, Hyun-Kyung Moon

Department of Food and Nutrition, Dankook University, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.

Corresponding author: Hyun-Kyung Moon. Department of Food and Nutrition, Dankook University, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. Tel: (031) 8005-3173, Fax: (031) 8029-7200, moonhk52@dankook.ac.kr

Received 7 October 2013       Revised 10 December 2013       Accepted 25 March 2014

Copyright © 2014 The Korean Society of Community Nutrition

(open-access):

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Objectives

In this study, perception of body image, eating attitudes and weight control were examined by the degree of obesity using Body Mass Index (BMI).

Methods

Out of 420 questionnaires distributed to the female middle school students (aged 12-16 years), 407 were returned (97% response rate) and 395 were analyzed (94% analysis rate). Female students were divided into two groups based on the BMI percentile using the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. (1) normal weight (5th percentile ≤ BMI < 85th percentile) (2) obese (85th percentile ≤ BMI) by 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. Satisfaction of self-body shape, risk of disturbed eating attitudes (Eating Attitude Test : EAT-26), and weight control behaviors were examined.

Results

Distribution of the subjects by BMI was 74.5% of normal and 25.5% of obese. There were significant differences between self-perceived current body image and self-perceived ideal body image. The dissatisfaction of body image was higher in obese than in normal groups (p < 0.001). 51.4% of female students were unsatisfied with their body image, while 2.6% were very satisfied. Among the students unsatisfied with their body image, 150 (52.1%) were of normal weight and 48 (49.4%) were obese. EAT-26 total scores were significantly higher in the obese group (16.42 ± 8.23) compared with normal group (13.72 ± 8.10) (p < 0.01). Attempted to weight control were significantly different by the BMI (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study concludes that there was desire to become thinner than current status in female students, even those with normal BMI. Many female students were dissatisfied with their body image and attempted to lose weight. It is harmful to their health and nutritional status if they choose undesirable methods. These findings suggested that there are needs to encourage female students for maintaining healthy weight. A higher score of EAT-26 was associated with dissatisfaction of selfbody image and this may lead to unhealthy behaviors in obese female students.

Keywords: self-body shape, weight control, Eating Attitude Test-26, BMI

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
Drawings for assessing body images.
kjcn-19-111-g001
Table 1
Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26)
kjcn-19-111-i001
Table 2
Age distribution of studied subjects by the obese degree of obesity
kjcn-19-111-i002

1) Normal weight (5th percentile ≤ BMI < 85th percentile), overweight/obese (85th percentile ≤ BMI)

2) Statistical analysis by χ2-test

3) N (%)

Table 3
The working status and perception of body image of subjects' parents by the obese degree
kjcn-19-111-i003

1) Normal weight (5th percentile ≤ BMI < 85th percentile), overweight/obese (85th percentile ≤ BMI)

2) Statistical analysis by χ2-test

3) N (%)

Table 4
Degree of satisfaction for the self-body shape by the degree of obesity
kjcn-19-111-i004

1) Normal weight (5th percentile ≤ BMI < 85th percentile), overweight/obese (85th percentile ≤ BMI)

2) 5-point Likert Scale: very satisfied: 1, slightly satisfied: 2, satisfied: 3, slightly unsatisfied: 4, very unsatisfied: 5

3) Mean ± SD

4) N (%)

***: p < 0.001 by χ2-test

†††: p < 0.001 by t-test

Table 5
Perception of current and ideal body shape of subjects by the degree of obesity
kjcn-19-111-i005

1) Normal weight (5th percentile ≤ BMI < 85th percentile), overweight/obese (85th percentile ≤ BMI)

2) N (%)

**: p < 0.01, ***: p < 0.001 by χ2-test

Table 6
Perception of self-body shape and difference of body shape by the degree of obesity
kjcn-19-111-i006

1) Normal weight (5th percentile ≤ BMI < 85th percentile), overweight/obese (85th percentile ≤ BMI)

2) Fig. 1. Drawings for assessing body images: number 1 (very thin) → number 9 (very fat)

3) Mean ± SD

4) Self perceived current figure - self perceived ideal figure

**: p < 0.01, ***: p < 0.001 by t-test

†††: p < 0.001 by paired t-test

Table 7
Mean score of Eating Attitude Test-26 of subjects by the degree of obesity
kjcn-19-111-i007

1) Normal weight (5th percentile ≤ BMI < 85th percentile), overweight/obese (85th percentile ≤ BMI)

2) Mean ± SD

3) Item of EAT-26: 1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25

4) Item of EAT-26: 3, 4, 9, 18, 21, 26

5) Item of EAT-26: 2, 5, 8, 13, 15, 19, 20

*: p < 0.05, **: p < 0.01, ***: p < 0.001 by t-test

Table 8
Reasons and methods of weight control of subjects by the degree of obesity
kjcn-19-111-i008

1) Normal weight (5th percentile ≤ BMI < 85th percentile), overweight/obese (85th percentile ≤ BMI)

2) N (%)

NS: not significant

***: p < 0.001 by χ2-test

Table 9
Correlation with the degree of obesity, dissatisfaction of self-body shape, EAT-26 Score of subjects
kjcn-19-111-i009

1) Normal weight (5th percentile ≤ BMI < 85th percentile), overweight/obese (85th percentile ≤ BMI)

2) Dissatisfaction of self body shape: (5-point Likert Scale: very satisfied: 1, slightly satisfied: 2, satisfied: 3, slightly unsatisfied: 4, very unsatisfied: 5)

3) EAT-26 Total Score: (Minimum value of EAT-26~Maximum value of EAT-26)

**: p < 0.01, ***: p < 0.001 by Pearson's correlation

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