Body image in prison: perceptions of imprisoned women/ Imagem corporal no carcere: percepcoes de mulheres privadas de liberdade

Objective: To evaluate the perception of body image among imprisoned women in relation to the current body size, body before imprisonment, and the ideal body. Methodology: A cross-sectional study carried out with 149 female prisoners from Natal, State of Rio Brande do Norte, Brazil. The perception of body image was assessed using a figure rating scale validated for Brazilian people, containing 15 silhouette figures and their respective values of body mass index. Each participant indicated the figure reflecting her current body size (at the time of the interview), her body before incarceration, and the body she would like to have. The analysis of the concept of ideal body and the perception of changes in their bodies after imprisonment was performed using the chi- square test, considering p-value