Full text

Turn on search term navigation

© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Body image perception includes body size assessment, body desirability estimation, and perceptions concerning one’s own body shape and size. Adolescence is a period of intense and prompt physical transformation, which changes the perception of one’s body. This represents a critical period for the development of body image. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate body image perception and investigate the relationships between it, weight status, sex, and physical activity in a sample of high school students living in Italy. General demographic information and details about physical activity were collected. Body image perception was measured with a body silhouette and two indexes were calculated: the FID (Feel minus Ideal Discrepancy) to evaluate the discrepancy between the perceived current figure and the ideal figure; and the FAI (Feel weight status minus Actual weight status Inconsistency) to observe improper perception of weight status. In addition, body shape concerns were evaluated with the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), in which participants reported the frequency of experiencing negative thoughts about their body shape in the last four weeks. Two hundred and four students were included in the study (155 = female, mean age = 17.13 ± 1.70; 49 = male, mean age = 17.25 ± 1.69). Females felt more concerned about body shape than males (χ2 = 11.347, p = 0.001). Distinctions emerged in terms of body mass index, the scores of Feel minus Ideal Discrepancy (FID), Feel weight status minus Actual weight status Inconsistency (FAI), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), and of the silhouette mean comparisons due to sex, weight status, and PA interaction effects (p < 0.001). Additionally, 94% of the BSQ variability could be explained by sex, weight status, and PA. Although no direct effects were observed on body image perception, healthy habit promotion, such as physical activity, could positively affect adolescent lives.

Details

Title
Body Image Perception in High School Students: The Relationship with Gender, Weight Status, and Physical Activity
Author
Toselli, Stefania 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zaccagni, Luciana 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rinaldo, Natascia 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Mauro, Mario 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Grigoletto, Alessia 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Pasqualino Maietta Latessa 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Marini, Sofia 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy 
 Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Prevention, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy 
 Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy 
First page
137
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
22279067
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2767185977
Copyright
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.