Comparison of Body-Image Dissatisfaction Among Chinese Children and Adolescents at Different Pubertal Development Stages

Body-image dissatisfaction among children and adolescent has become increasingly serious, and may be the result of staged differences in the puberty-development process. The aim of this study was to compare differences in body-image dissatisfaction among children and adolescents at different pubertal stages. A total of 574 students aged 8-15 years were recruited from two nine-year schools via stratified cluster sampling, their secondary sex characteristics and external genital development examined, and body-image cognition surveyed using the teenage body-image annoyance questionnaire. This questionnaire covers body-shape, gender, sexual organ, and appearance dissatisfaction. Lower scores indicate a more negative body image. Total, gender, and appearance-dissatisfaction scores in girls were significantly lower than in boys (