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Body-esteem in Swedish 10-year-old children
1Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Ann.Erling@psy.gu.se
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|November 25, 2004
Summary
Body-esteem in 10-year-old children is negatively impacted by weight concerns, especially for girls. Perceived weight, not just actual weight, significantly affects children's body-esteem and can lead to dieting behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Body Image Research
Background:
- Body-esteem is a critical aspect of child development.
- Understanding factors influencing body-esteem in preadolescent children is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate body-esteem in 10-year-old children.
- To examine the relationship between actual weight, perceived weight, and body-esteem.
- To explore the impact of dieting on body-esteem in this age group.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 960 schoolchildren (515 girls, 445 boys) aged approximately 10.4 years.
- Analysis of body-esteem across weight, appearance, and attribution dimensions.
- Comparison of body-esteem based on actual weight status and self-perceived weight.
Main Results:
- Overweight girls reported more negative body-esteem across all dimensions compared to boys.
- Both overweight boys and girls showed negative perceptions regarding weight and appearance.
- Children's perception of being overweight was as influential on body-esteem as their actual weight status.
- Dieting children exhibited lower body-esteem than non-dieting peers.
Conclusions:
- Body-esteem is significantly influenced by weight perceptions in 10-year-old children.
- Gender differences exist in how weight status affects body-esteem.
- Self-perception of weight plays a crucial role, independent of actual weight.
- Dieting behaviors are associated with poorer body-esteem in children.