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Published on: September 18, 2018
Exposure to westernization and dieting: a cross-cultural study
A Gunewardene1, G F Huon, R Zheng
1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|March 23, 2001
Summary
Exposure to westernization significantly predicts adolescent dieting behaviors, even when considering body mass index (BMI) and social factors. Chinese Australian girls reported the least dieting.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Health and Nutrition
- Cross-cultural Psychology
- Adolescent Health Behaviors
Background:
- Dieting behaviors among adolescents are influenced by various factors, including body image, social pressures, and cultural contexts.
- Westernization is increasingly recognized as a potential driver of lifestyle changes, including dietary habits, in non-Western societies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if an index of exposure to westernization predicts dieting behavior in adolescent females, independent of body mass index (BMI) and social influences.
- To compare dieting behaviors across adolescent females from distinct cultural backgrounds: mainland China, Chinese heritage in Australia, and non-Chinese Australians.
Main Methods:
- A cross-cultural study involving 100 females from Beijing, China, 60 females of Chinese heritage in Sydney, Australia, and 100 non-Chinese Australian females.
- An exposure to westernization index was developed, incorporating country of birth, primary home language, parents' country of birth, and country of residence.
Main Results:
- Higher exposure to westernization was a significant predictor of dieting status among adolescent females.
- The westernization index remained a significant predictor even after accounting for body mass index (BMI) and perceived social influences to diet.
- Adolescent females of Chinese heritage in Australia exhibited the lowest rates of dieting, despite Chinese girls in China perceiving greater peer influence to diet and having lower BMIs.
Conclusions:
- The developed index of exposure to westernization effectively assesses significant influences on adolescent female dieting.
- Cultural context and westernization play a crucial role in shaping dieting behaviors, interacting with factors like BMI and social norms.
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