Thesis (MTech (Education))--Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 2004 / The majority of studies that have examined the prevalence of eating disorders have sampled women from western societies. Theoretical models have emphasised Western socio-cultural factors as central in the development of eating disorders. Consequently, eating disorders have been conceptualised as disorders from Western industrialised countries where white women experience social pressures toward thinness. Within these societies, white women are believed to be at risk of developing eating disorders, while black women are not exposed to the same social pressure regarding weight. In the literature, it has been argued that African women are 'protected" from developing eating disorders because traditionally a fuller figure has been more acceptable. However, findings from recent studies are beginning to reveal a considerable degree of body perception dissatisfaction among black women, indicating that this debate is far from settled. In the African-American culture, in terms of body perceptions, people are not expected to be all built to look alike. A full, yet healthy body has represented strength, power and prosperity in the African culture throughout history. However, the thin ideal for women seems to be spreading across all ethnic groups. Incorrect body perceptions, dissatisfaction with one's body's appearance and a drive to be thin can lead to erratic eating patterns such as self-starvation and purging, which in turn can result in eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. In view of the above, this study investigated body perceptions among black female high school learners in the Cape Metropole. The participants were 702 girls between 13 and 19 years old in ex DET high schools in grades 8 to 11. The study attempted to determine participants' body weight dissatisfaction; whether they perceived themselves as overweight, underweight or of normal weight; and whether they expressed influence by the media, as well as family and peers, on their body perceptions. The sample was divided into two age groups, namely a younger group of 13 - 15 years and an older group of 16 - 19 years. The chi-square test was used to test the statistical significance of the data. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the younger age group (13-15 years) and the older age group (16-19 years) regarding body weight dissatisfaction and body weight perceptions. Furthermore, the expressed influence by the media and family/peers also show statistically significant results.

The aim of this study is to examine if social media has a negative impact on how womenperceive their own body image. The study was conducted by a quantitative survey usingquestionnaires to examine the various factors that affect the perceived body image. Such ashow women socially compare themselves with others or how satisfied they are with theirbody depending on how much time they spend on social media. We will also investigate ifwomen’s perceived body image is consistent with the their actual body based upon theirBMI. The sample for the study consisted of 159 women who are members of a specificFacebook group. The material was analyzed with support from Festinger’s theory of socialcomparison and Cooley’s glass-self theory among others. The results show that high use ofsocial media affects women’s satisfaction with how they look negatively compared withthose who use social media to a low degree. It also shows that women who spend a lot oftime on social media tend to compare themselves with other more widely and tend to beunhappier with their body. On the other hand, we could not see any correlation between theuse of social media and women’s perception of their actual body. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka om sociala medier har en negativ påverkan på hurkvinnor uppfattar sin egen kroppsbild. Studien genomfördes av en kvantitativ undersökningmed hjälp av enkäter för att undersöka de olika faktorerna som påverkar den uppfattadekroppsbilden. Såsom hur kvinnor jämför sig med andra eller hur nöjda de är med sin kroppberoende på hur mycket tid de spenderar på sociala medier. Vi kommer likaså undersöka omkvinnors uppfattade kroppsbild överensstämmer med deras faktiska kropp baserat på derasBMI. Urvalet för studien bestod av 159 kvinnor som är medlemmar i facebookgruppen Pinkroom. Materialet analyserades med bland annat stöd av Festingers teori om social jämförelseoch Cooleys teori om spegeljaget. Resultaten visar att vid hög användning av sociala medierpåverkas kvinnornas tillfredsställelse med kroppen i jämförelse med dem som användersociala medier i liten utsträckning. Det visar också att kvinnor som spenderar mycket tid påsociala medier tenderar att jämföra sig med andra i större utsträckning och att dem tenderaratt vara mer missnöjda med sin kropp.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether Psychological Well-Being (comprised of self-esteem, optimism, satisfaction with life, and self-determination), perfectionism, body surveillance, and neuroticism moderated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptoms after controlling for social desirability and actual physical size. 847 female undergraduate students participated in the study. Participants completed an online questionnaire packet. An exploratory factor analysis determined that self-determination, optimism, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life loaded on to one factor representing Psychological Well-Being. Hierarchical moderated regression (HMR) was used to control for the influences of social desirability and body mass index on bulimic symptoms and then determine the main and interactive effects of body dissatisfaction and each moderator. Four variables (neuroticism, body surveillance, concern over mistakes, and doubts about actions) strengthened the relationship between body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptomatology, whereas Psychological Well-Being weakened the relationship. Parental expectations, parental criticism, and personal standards did not moderate the relationship between body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptomatology.

Objective: Body image disturbance is one of the main characteristics of anorexia nervosa (AN). It is present in different stages of the disease, often persisting even after the end of the treatment, and is one of the predictors of a relaps. Body image is composed of two main components - the perceptual component, and the attitudinal component. Anorexia nervosa patients show a disturbed attitudinal component of the body image. The perceptual component disruption hasn't been completely proven yet. Many authors do, however, warn about the overestimation of bodily proportions of patients with AN and it's possible relation with characteristics such as BMI. Goals: The main goal of the dissertation thesis was the objectivization of the body image disturbance of the patients hospitalized with anorexia nervosa, the comparison of their results with a group of healthy girls of the same age, and the search for factors connected to the defect of the body image. A side goal of the dissertation thesis was the measurement of the effect of kinesiotherapy on the anxiety level of AN patients. Methods: As a part of the practical section, the measurements of 27 hospitalized patients and 20 healthy girls were completed. Probands underwent body size estimation of 4 bodily segments. They estimated the length of their arm,...

This study investigated the body image constructions of Afro-Latinx Caribbean women who identify as Domincan, Puetro-Rican, and/or Cuban. Fifteen women participated in the research study aiming to investigate how race, gender, culture and the intersection of the three influences the conceptualization of body image for this specific population of women. A mixed methodology approach was implemented. The primary research method was analysis of qualitative data via CQR. Interviews were accompanied by four quantitative measures in order to further inform the qualitative data. The measures specifically investigated cultural values (Marianismo Belief Scale), racial identity (Multidimensional Model of Black Identity), acculturation (Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale), and body image satisfaction (Stunkard Figure Rating Scale). The scales informed the data by providing information about the participant’s adherence to traditional cultural values and its intersection with gender (marianismo), the salience of their racial identity, the degree to acculturation, and ideal body image. Four domains emerged from the data, which shed light on the conceptualization and experience of body image for this group of women. The results have implications for the multicultural awareness for counselors working with Afro-Latinx Caribbean women, in addition to the psychological awareness of this group within the psychological body image research, and the many gaps which continue to need exploration.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka mäns positiva kroppsuppfattning och embodiment. Syftet var också att jämföra män som utövar aktiviteter som främjar positiv kroppsuppfattning vandring, yoga, frigörande dans, klättring, dykning, kampsport, ridning och mindfulness meditation med män som inte utövar någon av dessa aktiviteter.Fyra hypoteser formulerades och testades med Mann Whitney U-test och Spearman´s korrelationskoefficient. Data samlades in med elektronisk enkät via sociala medier. Stickproven bestod av 328 män som utövade aktivitet och 40 män som inte utövade aktivitet. Positiv kroppsuppfattning mättes med Body Appreciation Scale-2 och embodiment mättes med det förenklade instrumentet Physical Body Experiences Questionnaire Simplified for Active Aging. Resultaten visade att män som utövar aktiviteter som verkar främjande för positiv kroppsuppfattning har en högre positiv kroppsuppfattning och embodiment än män som inte utövar sådana aktiviteter. Korrelationskoefficienten visade också att allmän motion/träning korrelerar med positiv kroppsuppfattning och embodiment för båda grupperna men visar också på en högre korrelation för de män som inte utövar aktivitet. Slutsatserna i föreliggande studie är det vidare behöver undersökas vilka aktiviteter och vad hos aktiviteterna som kan verka främjande för positiv kroppsuppfattning. Slutsatsen är också att mot bakgrund av tidigare forskning så behövs ytterligare forskning för att utröna vilka aktiviteter samt vilka egenskaper hos aktiviteterna som kan verka främjande för mäns kroppsuppfattning. Vidare dras slutsatsen att vissa aktiviteter kan användas i arbete för att främja kroppsuppfattningen och även i vardagslivet för att förebygga en negativ kroppsuppfattning. / The purpose of this study was to examine mens positive body image and embodiment. The purpose was also to compare men that practice activities that promote positive body image; hiking, yoga, freestyle dancing, rock climbing, scuba diving, martial arts, horse riding and mindfulness meditation, with med that does not practice any of these activities. Four hypotheses was formulated and tested with Mann Whitney U-test and Spearman´s rank correlation coefficient. Data was collected through an electronic questionnaire that was published on social media. The samples consisted of 328 men that practiced activity and 40 men that did not practice activity. Positive body image was measured with Body Appreciation Scale-2 and embodiment was measured with the simplified instrument Physical Body Experiences Questionnaire Simplified for Active Aging. The results showed that men that practice activites that promote positive body image has a higher level of positive body image and embodiment than men that doesn´t practice that kind of activities. The correlation coefficient show that general exercise correlates with positive body image and embodiment for both groups but shows a greater correlation for the men that doesn´t practice activity. The conclusions in this study is that further research is needed to examine whichactivities and which characteristics in those activities that could promote positive body image. The conclusion is also that in the light of previous research further research is needed to examine which activities and which traits in those activities that can promote body image in men. Further, the conclusion is that some activities could be used in work to promote body image and in daily life to prevent a negative body image.

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The relationship between maturation rate, body image, depression and eating disorder tendencies was explored in a group of 251 college-age females in order to better understand the developmental progression of body image and related variables. Two aspects of body image were measured, namely, level of body satisfaction and amount of body distortion. Body dissatisfaction was found to be associated with early maturation, depression, and eating disorder tendencies. Body distortion was not found to be associated with any of the primary variables. The significant relationship which was found between maturation rate and level of body satisfaction in young adult females suggests that pubertal timing may have lasting effects on the body satisfaction of women. Body satisfaction and depression were found to contribute significantly to the variance in eating disorder tendency.

People's psychological experience of their body can impact on their lives. Some theories hold that the media creates an impossible physical ideal. The demands of trying to achieve this ideal may lead to normative discontent and psychopathology. Girls are experiencing this pressure at a younger age and the onset of puberty can exacerbate this experience. The present study used case studies and thematic content analysis to explore the issue of body image in twelve preadolescent girls. The research found that hair and the ability of the body to do need to be encompassed in the definition of body image. While the participants appeared to have a positive perception of their body, there also appeared to be negative feelings. This suggested that the participants experienced confusion and ambiguous feelings about their body. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

People's psychological experience of their body can impact on their lives. Some theories hold that the media creates an impossible physical ideal. The demands of trying to achieve this ideal may lead to normative discontent and psychopathology. Girls are experiencing this pressure at a younger age and the onset of puberty can exacerbate this experience. The present study used case studies and thematic content analysis to explore the issue of body image in twelve preadolescent girls. The research found that hair and the ability of the body to do need to be encompassed in the definition of body image. While the participants appeared to have a positive perception of their body, there also appeared to be negative feelings. This suggested that the participants experienced confusion and ambiguous feelings about their body. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)