4th-grade elementary-school children's body image and dietary habits according to body mass index

Eugene Shim; Yoon Kyoung Yang

doi:10.4163/jnh.2014.47.4.287

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Shim and Yang: 4th-grade elementary-school children's body image and dietary habits according to body mass index

Research Article

Journal of Nutrition and Health 2014; 47(4): 287-299.

Published online: 31 August 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2014.47.4.287

4th-grade elementary-school children's body image and dietary habits according to body mass index

Eugene Shim, Yoon Kyoung Yang

Department of Food and Nutrition, Soongeui Women's College, Seoul 100-751, Korea.

To whom correspondence should be addressed. tel: +82-2-3708-9263, eugene_shim@daum.net

Received 15 April 2014 Revised 30 April 2014 Accepted 22 July 2014

(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

Purpose

The goal of this study was to examine body image satisfaction and perception according to weight status, and to investigate those associations with dietary habits and nutritional status among preadolescent children.

Methods

Body image and dietary habits and intake were assessed in 134 elementary school students in grade 4. Children were categorized according to normal and overweight or obese groups. Figure rating scales were used to assess body image perception (identification of perceived current body size) and dissatisfaction (difference between perceived current body size and ideal body image).

Results

There were sex differences in body image perceptions. Normal-weight girls, overweight or obese girls and boys were more likely to desire a leaner body size than their perceived body size compared with normal-weight boys. Body image satisfaction and perception showed an association with weight status. More overweight or obese children indicated dissatisfaction or underestimation of body image than normal-weight children. Children with body image dissatisfaction due to heavier perceived body size than ideal body image showed lower frequencies of consumption of meals and vegetables, compared to those who were satisfied with their body image. Children who underestimated their body image were more likely to have a lower frequency of breakfast and meal regularity and a higher frequency of eating out of home or food deliveries than those with accurate body image perception. In addition, body image underestimation showed an association with lower intakes of protein, dietary fiber and calcium, and the higher percentage of calories derived from fat.

Conclusion

Body image dissatisfaction as well as underestimation in children before puberty showed an association with overweight or obesity, and was also related to unhealthy dietary habits. These findings highlight the importance of accurate perception and satisfaction with body image in preadolescent children in order to prevent development of obesity in adolescents and adults.

Keywords: body image, satisfaction, underestimation, obesity, dietary habits

Figures and Tables

Table 1

General characteristics of subjects

1) Mean ± SEM 2) No (row %): no significant difference by χ² test (χ² value = 1.0927)

^*: Significantly different by Student's t-test at p < 0.05

Table 2

Body images according to BMI and sex

Mean ± SEM. The score range is 1-7 scales; score 1 = the most thin shape; score 7 = the most obese shape.

^*: Significantly different between normal-weight and overweight or obesity groups by independent two-sample t-tests at p < 0.05, ^†: Significantly different between perceived and desired body shapes in each sex and BMI group by paired two-sample t-tests at p < 0.05

Table 3

Body image satisfaction and perception according to BMI and sex

No (column %). 1) The scores of perceived current body shape and body shape desired to look like are the same. 2) The scores of perceived current body shape and body shape desired to look like are not the same. 3) The BMI designated for perceived current body shape and actual current BMI are the same. 4) The BMI designated for perceived current body shape is lower than those of actual current BMI. 5) The BMI designated for perceived current body shape is higher than those of actual current BMI. Percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.

χ² test or Fisher's exact test when any expected frequencies are less than or equal to 5.

^*: significantly different at p < 0.05, ^**: significantly different at p < 0.01, ^***: significantly different at p < 0.001

Table 4

Dietary habits according to BMI

Mean ± SEM (point). The score range of each item is 1-5 points except the sum values. 1) The score range is 6-30 points. 2) The score range is 7-35 points. 3) The score range is 20-100 points.

^*: Significantly different by Student's t-test at p < 0.05.

Table 5

Nutrient intake according to BMI

Mean ± SEM (point)

No significant difference by Student's t-test.

Table 6

BMI according to body image

Mean ± SEM. 1) The scores of perceived current body shape and body shape desired to look like are the same. 2) The scores of perceived current body shape are higher than those of body shape desired to look like. 3) The BMI designated for perceived current body shape and actual current BMI are the same. 4) The BMI designated for perceived current body shape is lower than those of actual current BMI.

^*: Significantly different by Student's t-test at p < 0.001

Table 7

Dietary habits according to body image

Mean ± SEM (point). The score range of each item is 1-5 points except the sum values. 1) The scores of perceived current body shape and body shape desired to look like are the same. 2) The scores of perceived current body shape are higher than those of body shape desired to look like. 3) The BMI designated for perceived current body shape and actual current BMI are the same. 4) The BMI designated for perceived current body shape is lower than those of actual current BMI. 5) The score range is 6-30 points. 6) The score range is 7-35 points. 7) The score range is 20-100 points.

^*: Significantly different by Student's t-test at p < 0.05.

Table 8

Nutrient intake according to body image

Mean ± SEM (point). 1) The scores of perceived current body shape and body shape desired to look like are the same. 2) The scores of perceived current body shape are higher than those of body shape desired to look like. 3) The BMI designated for perceived current body shape and actual current BMI are the same. 4) The BMI designated for perceived current body shape is lower than those of actual current BMI.

^*: Significantly different by Student's t-test at p < 0.05.

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