Body Image Perception in Female Mexican-American Adolescents

This study examined the relationship of body image perception to self‐esteem, physical activity involvement, and body composition among female Mexican‐American adolescents. Subjects (N = 254) ranged in age from 13 to 15 years, mean age 14.4, and were drawn from a predominantly Mexican‐American population located in the lower Rio Grande Valley region of Texas. Data were gathered through a self‐report survey instrument consisting of body image, self‐esteem, and activity involvement scales and anthropometric measures to assess body composition. Results indicated significant positive relationships between body image perception and self‐esteem and activity involvement and a significant negative association between body image and body fat composition. Self‐esteem, followed by body fat composition, exerted the strongest explanatory power of subjects, body image scores. Findings suggest that less body image distortion exists in Mexican‐American adolescent females and interventions designed to promote healthy body image emphasize esteem‐building and physical activity.