Influence of sociocultural factors on body image from the perspective of adolescent girls

''Thank God we are like this here'': A qualitative investigation of televisual media influence on women's body image in an ethnically diverse rural Nicaraguan population

Abundant published literature evidences the harmful effects of appearance-idealized media imagery on women's body image in predominantly Western populations. Most countries in Latin America (LA) have received little empirical attention. The current study qualitatively explored Nicaraguan women's ideas about appearance, and the role of televisual media in shaping their body image. A total of 24 women of Creole and Mestizo ethnicities from small communities on the rural Caribbean coast of Nicaragua took part in 4 focus groups. A semi-inductive thematic analysis was used to interpret the women's transcribed conversations. Findings suggest that local cultural appearance ideals for women are relatively loosely defined and center on a curvy body shape and other aspects of appearance rather than a low body weight. Most women reported being satisfied with their 'God-given' bodies and showed little desire to modify them, although Mestizo women tended to diet more. Television (TV) was seen as both a positive and a negative influence on women's attitudes towards and behaviours around their appearance and their bodies. Our findings contribute to the scant literature on media influence on body image in under researched contexts and could provide evidence for alternative approaches to preventative work in ethnically diverse Latin American populations.

Relationships between media influence, body image and sociocultural appearance ideals in Latin America: A systematic literature review

The rapidly growing body of research investigating media influence on body image in Latin America has not been previously comprehensively synthesised. We systematically reviewed studies of the relationships between media use/influence, body image, and sociocultural appearance ideals in Latin America (CRD42021254607). We searched PsycINFO/Medline, Pubmed, Web of Science, ERIC, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations, SciElo, and LILACS for quantitative and qualitative peer-reviewed articles and doctoral theses in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Research conducted in Latin America, published 1991-2023, measuring a) media use/influence, and b) body image or appearance ideals was included. 68 articles met inclusion criteria, and quality appraisal concluded that most were of medium/high quality. A narrative review found consistent quantitative relationships, stronger in women than men, between media use/internalisation of media ideals and both body dissatisfaction and thinner appearance ideals. In contrast, participants in qualitative studies acknowledged media influence on their body image, but perceived greater influence from family and peers. Limitations included a predominance of cross-sectional research from Brazil and Mexico with adolescents and young adults. Additional longitudinal, experimental, and interventional work from elsewhere in Latin America is needed, recruiting more diverse samples and assessing more culturally salient appearance aspects (e.g., skin tone and hair texture).

Children's perception of food parenting practices: adaptation and validation of the comprehensive feeding practices questionnaire in Chilean adolescents

Introduction

Assessment of the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire in adolescents (CFPQ-Teen) is still limited, with no evaluation of the measurement invariance. The participants comprised 473 Chilean adolescents of both sexes from dual-income nuclear families. The aims of this study were: (1) to adapt to Spanish and validate a model of five-factor version the CFPQ-Teen; (2) to examine the psychometric properties, (3) to evaluate the measurement invariance according to the adolescents' gender; and (4) to compare the scores of each factor between female and male adolescents.

Methods

The instrument was translated, back-translated, and adapted from the CFPQ-Teen, confirming the equivalence, conceptual, and face validity in a pilot sample of 40 adolescents. An exploratory factor analysis was performed on the five-factor model of the CFPQ-Teen: Monitoring, Adolescent Control, Restriction for weight control, Parental Modeling, and Environment. The Environment factor was eliminated as a result.

Results

The confirmatory factor analysis presented good reliability, convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity values. In addition, medium to high goodness-of-fit levels were obtained by eliminating an item from the Adolescent Control factor. These results confirm a final 20-item model representing four factors. The multigroup invariance analysis of the measurement model verified configural, metric, scalar, and partial strict invariance. No significant differences were found between females and males in the scores on the four factors.

Discussion

These results enable comparisons by sex on the perceptions of Food Parenting Practices from the analyzed factors, primarily within the context of the Chilean sample.

Holistic nursing care for people diagnosed with an eating disorder: A qualitative study based on patients and nursing professionals' experience

PURPOSE

To analyze eating disorder patients and nursing professionals' views and experience of the relationship-based care established.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A qualitative study that employs an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Nineteen patients and 19 nurses participated in the research through interviews and narrations.

FINDINGS

Nurses' help is both unexpected and relevant during the patients' recovery process. They provide care not focusing just on nutritional aspects, other factors such as mutual help, the psychological, emotional, social, and personal aspects are highlighted.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study provides a deep understanding of the relationship-based care established that makes it possible to expand knowledge and to individualize the care provided.

Validación del Cuestionario de Actitudes Socioculturales sobre la Apariencia (SATAQ-4) en población colombiana

El deseo de cumplir estándares modernos estéticos corporales no alcanzables afecta la salud mental, debido a que las personas internalizan los ideales de belleza y aceptan las presiones sociales acerca de la apariencia corporal incluso por encima de su bienestar. El objetivo del presente estudio instrumental fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario de actitudes socioculturales sobre la apariencia (SATAQ-4) en población colombiana, para lo cual se utilizó una muestra estratificada no aleatorizada conformada por 214 personas -138 mujeres y 76 hombres-, con un promedio de edad de 25.13 años (DE = 7.66). Se retomó la versión en español del instrumento validado en Argentina, que fue evaluada por jueces expertos para realizar la adaptación lingüística y que se aplicó a una muestra piloto antes de la aplicación definitiva, hecha bajo las normas éticas exigidas. Se realizó el análisis de las condiciones psicométricas desde la teoría de respuesta al ítem, mediante el modelo Rasch, y por medio del software WINSTEPS. Los resultados indican que la versión en español cumple las condiciones psicométricas adecuadas en las cinco dimensiones que componen el instrumento (.72-.94); y que el grado de dificultad y de habilidad alcanzan valores de ajuste apropiados, lo que indica que el cuestionario cuenta con adecuadas condiciones psicométricas y mantiene su estructura interna original. En conclusión, la versión final de esta adaptación del SATAQ-4 puede ser utilizada en población de similar procedencia, a fin de evaluar el efecto de los aspectos socioculturales en la satisfacción con la imagen corporal.

Risk eating behaviors, perception of parental practices and assertive behaviors in high school students

Background: Late adolescence is considered a risk stage for psychological health. The objective of this research was evaluating the association among risk eating behaviors (REB), parental practices and assertive behavior in high school students according to sex. Method: With a non-experimental design and transversal study participated 200 students (104 men and 96 women) from a public high school with age mean of 16.52 (SD = 1.05 years), who after signing informed consent fulfilled the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT), the Scale of Parental Practices for Adolescents (PP-A) which has nine subscales, four towards the father (PPf) and five towards the mother (PPm) and the Assertive Behavior Scale (CABS), all of them validated for Mexican population. Results: Differential associations were found according to sex: in women, EAT-26-Total was associated with CABS-Total, parental Communication, maternal Imposition and maternal Psychological Control (rs = -.36, .25, -.28, -.36, respectively); but in men, was only associated with parental Imposition (rs = -.30). The CABS-Total was associated with all PPm subscales in women (range rs = .22 to .36) and in men only with Communication, Psychological and Behavioral Control (rs = .30 .35, -.23). Conclusion: The high school students –women to a greater degree– higher REB greater aggressive style (no assertiveness), greater maternal psychological control and less maternal behavioral control.

The Spanish Body Image State Scale: Factor Structure, Reliability and Validity in a Colombian Population

OBJECTIVE

Body image is a construct highly dependent on culture and ethnicity. Furthermore, recent studies reveal that body image is not only a trait, but also a momentary state subject to change in diverse situational contexts. However, cultural influences on momentary body image have not been sufficiently investigated. To assess the influence of Latin American culture on momentary body image and to enable its comparison to Western countries, the Spanish translation of an existing state body image scale such as the Body Image States Scale (BISS) is needed. In addition, the factor structure, reliability and general validity of the Spanish BISS (S-BISS) should be evaluated prior to its application in diverse situational contexts.

METHOD

We conducted a cross-sectional study evaluating 1137 individuals between the ages of 18 and 28 years from Barranquilla, Colombia, South America. The original BISS, which assesses body satisfaction, was translated from English to Spanish. Factorial structure, scale score reliability and convergent/divergent validity were assessed.

RESULTS

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a one-factor model with correlated items best described the factorial structure present in the BISS questionnaire. The coefficient of scale score reliability was α = 0.92 (McDonalds ω = 0.93), with similar results for men and women. Significant differences between males and females were found with lesser body satisfaction in females (W = 163260, p = 0.016). Lower S-BISS scores indicating less body satisfaction were associated with higher BMI (r = -0.287, p < 0.001) and obtained in participants who were currently on a diet (t 1135 = -3.98, p < 0.001). The S-BISS was negatively correlated with a trait body image measurement assessing body dissatisfaction (Body Shape Questionnaire, r = -0.577, p < 0.001) and a psychopathology questionnaire (Brief Symptom Inventory 53, r = -0.331, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The S-BISS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess body image in the Colombian population, and exhibits similar psychometric properties to those of the original version. Future studies should examine whether the S-BISS captures change in state body image when applied in diverse situational contexts.

En la era hegemónica del cuerpo, una pausa para comprender el trastorno dismórfico corporal

Para hablar del cuerpo, es necesario recurrir a la experiencia individual y colectiva que se tiene de este, a su construcción social y al nivel de satisfacción o aprobación que sea capaz de proporcionar. Así las cosas, el cuerpo y específicamente la imagen corporal, adquiere una relevancia especial en tanto, da cuenta de la cultura y las prácticas sociales contemporáneas.