Body image dissatisfaction among school children in Turkey and its potential effect on body esteem

This study aimed to validate the Turkish version of Collins` Body Figure Perceptions and Preferences (BFPP) scale. The second aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between body image dissatisfaction (BID) and body esteem (BE), and between body mass index (BMI) and BID, among Turkish children. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 2066 4th grade children (mean age was 10.06 ± 0.37 years) in Ankara, Turkey. The Feel-Ideal Difference (FID) index from Collins` BFPP was used to assess the degree of BID. FID ranges from -6 to +6, with scores below or above 0 indicating BID. Collins` BFPP`s test-retest reliability was evaluated in a subset of 641 children. The Turkish version of the BE Scale for Adolescents and Adults was used to evaluate the children` BE. More than half of the children were dissatisfied with their own body images (57.8% of girls vs. 42.2% of boys, p < .05). The lowest BE score in both genders was among adolescents who desired to be thinner (p < .01). The criterion-related validity of Collins` BFPP, in relation to BMI and weight, was at an acceptable level in girls (BMI rho= 0.69, weight rho= 0.66) and boys (BMI rho= 0.58, weight rho= 0.57), and was statistically significant in all cases (p < .01). The test-retest reliability coefficients of Collins` BFPP were found to be moderately high for both girls (rho=0.72) and boys (rho=0.70). Collins` BFPP scale is a reliable and valid tool for Turkish children aged 9-11 years. This study demonstrates that more Turkish girls than boys were dissatisfied with their bodies. Children who were affected by overweight/obesity and underweight had a higher BID than those with a normal weight. It is important to evaluate adolescents` BE and BID in addition to their anthropometric measurements during their regular clinical follow-up.