Ursula Kenny, Michal Molcho and Colette Kelly

Health Promotion Research Centre, NUI Galway, Ireland

Background

Body image is multidimensional with attitudinal, perceptual and behavioural aspects (Verplanken & Velsvik 2008)

Positive body image: an accurate perception of the body's natural size and shape

Negative body image: comprises perceptual distortion & feelings of anxiety about the body

Body image - an important aspect of mental health across the life span.

Body image - influenced by a variety of factors (Smolak, 2004)

Sociocultural norms & ideals

Biological factors

Body image & adolescence

During adolescence, the way young people deal with their bodies is important in terms of protective and health risk behaviours

Body image is reported to be at its lowest during the adolescent

years (Hartup, 2004) Adolescence is a time during which substantive changes occur Young people tend to inspect their bodies with increasing

concern during this time Young people often feel dissatisfied with their body weight and

size (Abbott et al. 2010; Duncan et al., 2011)

Body image & Peers

Adolescence - increased time spent with peers (Brown, 2004)

and reliance on friends for support and approval (Ata et al

2007).

Research GAP

Peer relationships play a role in well-being and adjustment, yet the influence of peers on body image is less clear.

Gender differences in body image are known (Calogero & Thompson, 2010) but the influence of peers on body image by gender is not clear.

Theoretical Framework The Tripartite Influence model of body image and eating

disturbances (Thompson et al. 1999) is the model most commonly cited in the literature when assessing peer influences on body image among adolescents.

This model assigns three formative influences as the main direct socio-cultural factors predicting body image concerns.

The extent of body image preoccupations has been frequently explained by media and parental influences (Sheldon, 2010). Peer influences on body image however, have received less attention to date.

Body image in Ireland

Dail na nÓg council identified body image as a ‘’burning issue’ for young people in Ireland.

A survey commissioned by DCYA (2012) found that 43% of young people reported dissatisfaction with their body image (n=2,156).

A report involving 277 Irish teenagers, highlighted that the ‘key hurt’ expressed by young people was ‘people judging you based on how you look’. This ‘key hurt’ was identified as the single biggest negative impact on teenage mental health (McEvoy, 2009).

DoH requested that HBSC Ireland investigate the factors influencing adolescent body image in the 2013/14 survey

PhD Aims & Objectives

1. Investigate the distribution of body image perceptions among adolescents aged 13-15 years and 16-17 years in Ireland.

2. Investigate the factors influencing adolescent body image in Ireland.

3. Explore how peer relationships influence body image perceptions among adolescents in Ireland.

4. Work with stakeholders to improve body image among young people in Ireland.

Methods

Phase 2: Quantitative Research, using HBSC 2013/14 data Investigate the distribution of body image perceptions among adolescents

aged 13-17 years in Ireland To identify the factors influencing adolescent body image

Question Development: A literature review Consultation with international experts on body image A single item was not identified The following question was developed: ‘‘What influences how you feel about your body image?’’

Methods

Piloting:

2 pilots; focus group discussion & classroom setting Adolescents from 2 post primary schools Age = 13-17 years N=75 of which 55% were boys & 44.6% girls

Time Constraints: Quick turn around (~ 2 weeks)

Results: What influences how you feel about your body image ?

Body image

Weight

Peers

Media

Slagging

Peer Criticism

Family

‘‘I’d say probably the way you look. If you’re

overweight no one wants to be friends with you or talk to

you’’ (Boy ,aged 16)

‘‘Your peers influence you the most because

at our age it’s all about looking good and getting girls’’

(Boy, aged 17)

‘‘Celebrities and Sports players

influence teens. They’re almost always muscular and thin, so

teenagers want to look like them and be

like them’’ (Boy, aged 13)

‘‘I think that your friends and family would influence your body image because they’re the people that

you care about and they also care

about you’’ (Boy aged 16)

‘‘One influence is the way

people talked behind my back and

lowered my self-esteem’’

(Boy, aged 14)

‘‘People slagging you because of your

weight. Some people could be called fat

head or a person with big ears would be

called an elf ’’ (Boy, aged 14)

Body shape

Judgement

Goals

Slagging Clothes

Peers

What influences adolescent body shape? ‘‘What people think and say about your body, for example if

you are skinny or fat’’ (Boy, aged 16)

‘‘Body shape is very important because you can get slagged over it or lead to something worse. But you can change the way you

look by cutting back on food, not just at home,

but at school aswell and go to the gym or

play soccer and you will feel better about

yourself.’’ (Boy, aged 15)

‘‘Members of the opposite

sex would influence you,

‘cause if another fella is like, skinny or muscular, and

he’s getting loads of girls,

and you’re just there not

getting anyone, you’re gonna’

want to be more like him’’ (Boy, aged 14)

‘‘The clothes that you wear’’

(Boy, aged 13) ‘‘What type of

clothes you have’’

(Boy, aged 16)

‘‘If you know you’re overweight set a goal, like, go

to the gym or something and

try hard to get fit and lose weight’’

(Boy, aged 15)

Question Validity

• Face Validity; What do you think the question means? Body shape

‘‘Body shape is about how fat or thin you are and what your actual shape is’’ ‘‘Body shape is about how you look, if you’re overweight or if you’re skinny’’

Body image ‘‘Body image is more how you see yourself, includes facial beauty and self confidence and more about what you feel about yourself’’ ‘‘Personal view of yourself’’

Question Preference Pilot 1: Preference for body shape question N=18 Boys ‘‘Use body shape. What influences how you feel about your body shape. It’s straight forward, easier to understand’’

Pilot 2: Preference for body image N= 56 Mixed gender

‘‘The body image question is better because it comes from an ‘at heart’

opinion rather than an overall view of a person’s body shape’’

‘‘The body image question is about you aswell like. Body shape is just like fat or thin. But body image is am... If you have loads of problems or if you’re ginger, or what hair colour you have, or if you had a big head or big ears or something, or a weird nose’’

Rational for Question Choice

A larger number of students showed a preference for use of the term ‘body image’ as opposed to body shape

Gender Differences: Pilot one males only; Pilot 2 mixed gender

HBSC study currently collects data on body image in terms of body shape

No single item exists in the literature on factors influencing adolescent body image

DoH requested data on body image specifically

Conclusion

Developing a single item to collect data on a complex topic is challenging.

While an open-ended question is costly and time consuming to code, it was considered the most appropriate given the requirements and timeframe.

Data provided from the pilot indicate other factors too can play a role in how young people perceive their body image.

It is anticipated that inclusion of the new question on body image in the HBSC Ireland study will lead to a better understanding of the factors at play and thus lead to possible strategies for improving body image for youth.

June-August

September

October–December

Future work

HBSC Data

Analysis

Focus Group

Write Up

Focus group

Analysis

Acknowledgements

Schools and parents who gave their consent

Children for their participation and consent

HBSC Ireland for their support and advise

Miss Lorraine Burke & Kathy Ann Fox who conducted the second pilot

International experts within the HBSC network