The Multidimensional Media Influence Scale: confirmatory factor structure and relationship with body dissatisfaction among African American and Anglo American children

Body Shame in 7-12-Year-Old Girls and Boys: The Role of Parental Attention to Children's Appearance

Guided by the Tripartite Influence Model and Objectification Theory, we examined whether parents' attention to their children's appearance was related to higher body shame in girls and boys. In Study 1 (N = 195) and 2 (N = 163), we investigated 7-12-year-old children's metaperceptions about parents' attention to their appearance and its association with children's body shame. In Study 3, we examined the link between parents' self-reported attention to their children's appearance and children's body shame among parent-child triads (N = 70). Results demonstrated that both children's metaperceptions and fathers' self-reported attention to children's appearance were associated with body shame in children. Furthermore, when mothers' and fathers' attitudes toward their children were analyzed simultaneously, only fathers' attention to their children's appearance was associated with greater body shame in girls and boys. Notably, no gender differences emerged, suggesting that parents' attention to their children's appearance was not differentially related to body shame in girls and boys. These results remained significant when controlling for other sources of influence, namely peer and media influence, both of which were found to have a strong association with body shame in children. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.

Media influence components as predictors of children's body image and eating problems: A longitudinal study of boys and girls during middle childhood

Body image problems are reported during middle childhood and are associated with exposure to appearance-focused media. This longitudinal study investigated the extent to which three media influence components, Awareness, Pressure, and Internalization of media ideals, predict body image and eating problems in children and whether gender moderates this effect. A total sample of N = 688 participants (46 % girls, aged 8-11 at T1) was studied. Self-report questionnaires were administered on the media influence components, body image and eating problems at T1 and T2 (1 year later). After controlling for age, adjusted body mass index and baseline levels of body image and eating problems, results show that media influence components significantly predicted Restraint and Concerns about Eating, Weight, and Shape one year later. Awareness, however, uniquely predicted increases in Eating Concerns in boys, while Pressure predicted increases in Concerns on Eating, Weight, and Shape in girls only. The current results indicate that media influences, some of which may be gender-specific risk factors, predict subsequent body image concerns of girls and boys during middle childhood. Thus, both boys and girls should be addressed in future research and prevention programs.

Body Image in Primary Schools: A pilot evaluation of a primary school intervention program designed by teachers to improve children's body satisfaction

Body Image in the Primary School (Hutchinson & Calland, 2011) is a body image curriculum that is widely available but has not yet been evaluated. This study evaluates a set of 6 of the 49 available lessons from this curriculum. Seventy-four girls and 70 boys aged 9-10 were recruited from four primary schools in the UK. Schools were randomly allocated into the intervention condition, where students received 6hours of body image lessons, or to lessons as normal. Body esteem was significantly higher among girls in the intervention group, compared to the control group, immediately post intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. Moreover, girls with lowest levels of body esteem at baseline reported the largest gains. Internalization was significantly lower among boys in the control group compared to the intervention group at 3-month follow-up. The pattern of results among the control group raises interesting issues for intervention evaluation.