Body size attitudes and body image perception among preschool children and their parents: A preliminary study

Abstract

Objective: The objectives of our study were two fold: (1) to assess body attitudes among children and their parents, and (2) to analyze the predictors of body attitudes in both groups. Method: The research sample consisted of 37 children, aged between 3 and 7, and 37 parents. We used the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4, the Child Figure Arrays, and the Contour Drawing Rating Scale. Results: Twenty-eight children (75.68%) chose the thin and average silhouettes as the ideal body shapes. The most undesirable silhouette was that indicating obesity (62.16%). We found that a relationship between body dissatisfaction and thin ideal internalization (r = 0.627, p < 0.001), muscular ideal internalization (r = 0.369, p < 0.05), family pressure (r = 0.351, p < 0.05), media pressure (r = 0.702, p < 0.001) and peer pressure (r = 0.428, p < 0.05) made parents wish to change their children's body shape. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression revealed that media pressure among children and body dissatisfaction among their parents were predictors of ideal silhouette in children. In addition, mediation analysis showed that media pressure had mediated the relationship between parents' body dissatisfaction and children's ideal silhouette. Conclusions: Both children and their parents preferred a slim silhouette. Body dissatisfaction was related to internalization of a socially acceptable silhouette and to pressure to change body shape among parents. There is a high risk that parents can model negative attitudes towards the body in their children. This should be considered in psychoeducational prevention programs.