Young Girls' Eating Attitudes and Body Image Dissatisfaction

Abstract

The relationships among communication, modeling, body image dissatisfaction, and maladaptive eating attitudes and behaviors in preadolescent girls were investigated in a cross-sectional study of 69 girls in fourth through sixth grade and their mothers. Participants completed questionnaires assessing familial and peer influences, body image dissatisfaction, and maladaptive eating attitudes and behaviors. Positive communication was significantly more frequent than negative communication; however, only negative communication was associated with body image dissatisfaction and maladaptive eating attitudes and behaviors. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggested negative communication was associated with body image dissatisfaction, whereas modeling was associated with maladaptive eating attitudes and behaviors. Findings suggest that, together, familial and peer negative communication and modeling may be related to preadolescent girls' body image dissatisfaction and maladaptive eating attitudes and behaviors.