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Parental and Peer Factors Associated with Body Image Discrepancy among Fifth-Grade Boys and Girls

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Abstract

Many young adolescents are dissatisfied with their body due to a discrepancy between their ideal and actual body size, which can lead to weight cycling, eating disorders, depression, and obesity. The current study examined the associations of parental and peer factors with fifth-graders’ body image discrepancy, physical self-worth as a mediator between parental and peer factors and body image discrepancy, and how these associations vary by child’s sex. Body image discrepancy was defined as the difference between young adolescents’ self-perceived body size and the size they believe a person their age should be. Data for this study came from Healthy Passages, which surveyed 5,147 fifth graders (51 % females; 34 % African American, 35 % Latino, 24 % White, and 6 % other) and their primary caregivers from the United States. Path analyses were conducted separately for boys and girls. The findings for boys suggest father nurturance and getting along with peers are related negatively to body image discrepancy; however, for girls, fear of negative evaluation by peers is related positively to body image discrepancy. For both boys and girls, getting along with peers and fear of negative evaluation by peers are related directly to physical self-worth. In addition, mother nurturance is related positively to physical self-worth for girls, and father nurturance is related positively to physical self-worth for boys. In turn, physical self-worth, for both boys and girls, is related negatively to body image discrepancy. The findings highlight the potential of parental and peer factors to reduce fifth graders’ body image discrepancy.

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Acknowledgments

Emily O’Malley Olsen, MSPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provided technical assistance and reviewed the manuscript.

Author Contributions

SLM conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, performed the statistical analysis, participated in the interpretation of the data, and drafted the manuscript; KW conceived of the study, participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data, and helped to draft the manuscript; MNE participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data and informed the statistical analysis; PJD participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data; DEK participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data and helped to draft the manuscript; JLW participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data; KEP participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data; LF participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data; WCT participated in the design of the study and interpretation of the data; TQ participated in the design of the study and helped perform the statistical analysis; FAF participated in the design of the study, identified measurement issues, and participated in the interpretation of the data; MAS participated in the design and interpretation of the data and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, MS K-12, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    Shannon L. Michael

  2. University of Maryland, 3304 Benjamin Building, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Shannon L. Michael & Kathryn Wentzel

  3. RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA, 90407-2138, USA

    Marc N. Elliott & David E. Kanouse

  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, MS E-44, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA

    Patricia J. Dittus

  5. Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Rd., Merced, CA, 95343, USA

    Jan L. Wallander

  6. University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, D3700, Austin, TX, 78712-0360, USA

    Keryn E. Pasch

  7. University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1200 Herman Pressler Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Luisa Franzini

  8. University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin Street, Suite 2670, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Wendell C. Taylor

  9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, mailstop K-33, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    Tariq Qureshi

  10. University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA

    Frank A. Franklin

  11. Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Mark A. Schuster

  12. Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Mark A. Schuster

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  1. Shannon L. Michael
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  2. Kathryn Wentzel
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  3. Marc N. Elliott
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Correspondence to Shannon L. Michael.

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Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Michael, S.L., Wentzel, K., Elliott, M.N. et al. Parental and Peer Factors Associated with Body Image Discrepancy among Fifth-Grade Boys and Girls. J Youth Adolescence 43, 15–29 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9899-8

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