Ursula Kenny, Michal Molcho and Colette Kelly
Health Promotion Research Centre, NUI Galway,
Ireland
Background
 Body image is multidimensional with attitudinal, perceptual and
behavioural aspects (Verplanken & Velsvik 2008)
 Positive body image: an accurate perception of the body's natural size
and shape
 Negative body image: comprises perceptual distortion & feelings of
anxiety about the body
 Body image - an important aspect of mental health across the life span.
 Body image - influenced by a variety of factors (Smolak, 2004)
 Sociocultural norms & ideals
 Biological factors
Body image & adolescence
 During adolescence, the way young people deal with their
bodies is important in terms of protective and health risk
behaviours
 Body image is reported to be at its lowest during the adolescent
years (Hartup, 2004)
 Adolescence is a time during which substantive changes occur
 Young people tend to inspect their bodies with increasing
concern during this time
 Young people often feel dissatisfied with their body weight and
size (Abbott et al. 2010; Duncan et al., 2011)
Body image & Peers
 Adolescence - increased time spent with peers (Brown, 2004)
and reliance on friends for support and approval (Ata et al
2007).
Research GAP
 Peer relationships play a role in well-being and adjustment, yet
the influence of peers on body image is less clear.
 Gender differences in body image are known (Calogero &
Thompson, 2010) but the influence of peers on body image by
gender is not clear.
Theoretical Framework
 The Tripartite Influence model of body image and eating
disturbances (Thompson et al. 1999) is the model most
commonly cited in the literature when assessing peer
influences on body image among adolescents.
 This model assigns three formative influences as the main
direct socio-cultural factors predicting body image concerns.
 The extent of body image preoccupations has been frequently
explained by media and parental influences (Sheldon, 2010).
Peer influences on body image however, have received less
attention to date.
Body image in Ireland
 Dail na nÓg council identified body image as a ‘’burning issue’ for young
people in Ireland.
 A survey commissioned by DCYA (2012) found that 43% of young people
reported dissatisfaction with their body image (n=2,156).
 A report involving 277 Irish teenagers, highlighted that the ‘key hurt’
expressed by young people was ‘people judging you based on how you
look’. This ‘key hurt’ was identified as the single biggest negative impact
on teenage mental health (McEvoy, 2009).
 DoH requested that HBSC Ireland investigate the factors influencing
adolescent body image in the 2013/14 survey
PhD Aims & Objectives
1. Investigate the distribution of body image perceptions among
adolescents aged 13-15 years and 16-17 years in Ireland.
2. Investigate the factors influencing adolescent body image in
Ireland.
3. Explore how peer relationships influence body image
perceptions among adolescents in Ireland.
4. Work with stakeholders to improve body image among young
people in Ireland.
Methods
Phase 2: Quantitative Research, using HBSC 2013/14 data
 Investigate the distribution of body image perceptions among adolescents
aged 13-17 years in Ireland
 To identify the factors influencing adolescent body image
Question Development:
 A literature review
 Consultation with international experts on body image
 A single item was not identified
 The following question was developed:
‘‘What influences how you feel about your body image?’’
Methods
Piloting:
 2 pilots; focus group discussion & classroom setting
 Adolescents from 2 post primary schools
 Age = 13-17 years
 N=75 of which 55% were boys & 44.6% girls
Time Constraints:
 Quick turn around (~ 2 weeks)
Results: What influences how you feel about your body
image ?
‘‘I’d say probably the
way you look. If you’re
overweight no one
wants to be friends
with you or talk to
you’’ (Boy ,aged 16)
‘‘I think that your
friends and family
would influence
‘‘One influence
your body image
is the way
because they’re
people talked
the people that
behind my
you care about and
back and
they also care
lowered my
about you’’
self-esteem’’
(Boy aged 16)
(Boy, aged 14)
‘‘Your peers influence
you the most because
at our age it’s all
about looking good
and getting girls’’
(Boy, aged 17)
Weight
Family
Peers
Body
image
Peer
Criticism
Slagging
‘‘Celebrities and
Sports players
teens.
‘‘People slagginginfluence
you
because of They’re
your almost always
Media Somemuscular
weight.
people and thin, so
want to
could be calledteenagers
fat
lookwith
like them and be
head or a person
big ears would belike them’’
called an elf’’ (Boy, aged 13)
(Boy, aged 14)
What influences adolescent body shape?
‘‘Members of
the opposite
sex would
influence you,
‘cause if
another fella is
like, skinny or
muscular, and
he’s getting
loads of girls,
and you’re just
there not
getting anyone,
you’re gonna’
‘‘The clothes that
want to be
you
wear’’
‘‘What
type
of
more like him’’
(Boy, aged
clothes
you 13)
(Boy, aged 14)
have’’
(Boy, aged 16)
Judgement
Peers
Body
shape
Clothes
Slagging
‘‘What people think
and say about your
‘‘Body
shape isifvery
body,
for example
youimportant
are skinnybecause
or fat’’ you
can
getaged
slagged
(Boy,
16) over it
or lead to something
worse. But
you know
can
‘‘If you
change
the way
you
you’re
overweight
Goals
look by cutting
back
ongo
set a goal,
like,
food, not to
just
atgym
home,
the
or
but at school
aswell
something
and
and gotry
to the
or fit
hardgym
to get
play soccer
will
andand
loseyou
weight’’
feel better
(Boy,about
aged 15)
yourself.’’
(Boy, aged 15)
Question Validity
• Face Validity; What do you think the question means?
Body shape
‘‘Body shape is about how fat or thin you are and what your actual
shape is’’
‘‘Body shape is about how you look, if you’re overweight or if you’re
skinny’’
Body image
‘‘Body image is more how you see yourself, includes facial beauty and
self confidence and more about what you feel about yourself’’
‘‘Personal view of yourself’’
Question Preference
 Pilot 1: Preference for body shape question
 N=18
 Boys
‘‘Use body shape. What influences how you feel about your body shape.
It’s straight forward, easier to understand’’
 Pilot 2: Preference for body image
 N= 56
 Mixed gender
‘‘The body image question is better because it comes from an ‘at heart’
opinion rather than an overall view of a person’s body shape’’
‘‘The body image question is about you aswell like. Body shape is just like
fat or thin. But body image is am... If you have loads of problems or if
you’re ginger, or what hair colour you have, or if you had a big head or
big ears or something, or a weird nose’’
Rational for Question Choice
 A larger number of students showed a preference for use of




the term ‘body image’ as opposed to body shape
Gender Differences: Pilot one males only; Pilot 2 mixed gender
HBSC study currently collects data on body image in terms of
body shape
No single item exists in the literature on factors influencing
adolescent body image
DoH requested data on body image specifically
Conclusion
 Developing a single item to collect data on a complex topic is
challenging.
 While an open-ended question is costly and time consuming
to code, it was considered the most appropriate given the
requirements and timeframe.
 Data provided from the pilot indicate other factors too can
play a role in how young people perceive their body image.
 It is anticipated that inclusion of the new question on body
image in the HBSC Ireland study will lead to a better
understanding of the factors at play and thus lead to possible
strategies for improving body image for youth.
Future work
Focus
group
Analysis
June-August
Focus
Group
Write Up
September
HBSC
Data
Analysis
October–
December
Acknowledgements
 Schools and parents who gave their consent
 Children for their participation and consent
 HBSC Ireland for their support and advise
 Miss Lorraine Burke & Kathy Ann Fox who
conducted the second pilot
 International experts within the HBSC network