Perception of the body image and desired body image of children in elementary school

Abstract

Introduction: Body image is defined as a multidimensional construct that embraces perceptions, attitudes and experiences of the subject relative to the size, shape and aesthetics of the body [1]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of the body image of students in the 2nd and the 3rd years of elementary school, as well as evaluate their satisfaction with the respective body image.

Material and methods: The study sample consisted of 58 students who attended the 2nd and 3rd years of elementary school. For the evaluation of the body image we applyed the Scale of Collins Silhouettes for Children and Adolescents (Portuguese adaptation of Helena Moreira, Ana Simões, Roberta Frontini & Maria Cristina Canavarro, 2013), consisting of seven images, of both sexes, between thinness and excess weight [2]. The nutritional status of the children was also assessed according to WHO criteria, through the collection of anthropometric data (weight and height), with the informed consent of the parents.

Results: According to the nutritional evaluation, most children (57%, n = 33) showed normal nutritional status, 33% (n = 19) were overweight, and 10% (n = 6) were thinner. Regarding perceived body image, 55.1% (n = 32) of the children were identified as having a body image that represents thinness, followed by 37.9% (n = 22) as having a normal body image, and 6, 9% (n = 4) was identified as having a representative body image of overweight. Of the children who were overweight (n = 19), 21% (n = 4) were identified as being overweight, 74% (n = 14) with a normal body image, and 5% with the thinness. Regarding desired bogy image, it was verified that the majority of the children (58.6%, n = 34) would like to be thin, and 41.3% (n = 24) would like to have a normal body image.

Discussion and conclusion: The results obtained allow us to verify that most overweight children present a distorted perception of their body image, which may lead them to maintain poor eating habits because they consider that they have an adequate weight. It was also possible to verify that children who present a normal nutritional state perceive themselves as having a body image representative of thinness. On the other hand, we found these children are not satisfied with their actual body image. The results obtained are in agreement with other studies [3,4] which verified that children identify the state of thinness as being the desired one, rather than normal body weight.