ADOLESCENT ISSUES
Young people are searching for their own identity and thus are heavily
impacted by cultural standards. Visually communicated standards such as
those promoted through the media are particularly influential.
Anonymous. (1993). The fat girl. Scholastic Choices, 9(2),
18.
ABSTRACT: This compelling story takes students into the bruising world of
a teenage girl coping with obesity, and promotes understanding and compassion.
Plus sidebars on myths and facts about obesity and history's changing body
ideals.
KEYWORDS: Body
Anonymous. (1994, May). Figure problems: The swimsuit solution. 'Teen,
38, 82.
ABSTRACT: Two great styles that work for every body.
KEYWORDS: Body
Anonymous. (1995, March). For the shape you're in. 'Teen,
39, 102.
ABSTRACT: Learn to love your body
KEYWORDS: Body
Aquilina, S. S. (1976). Body image changes in pregnant adolescents.
Unpublished master's thesis, University of Rochester.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Pregnancy; Adolescence
Azhderian, J. G. (1967). Body image perception and physical fitness
performance of ninth-grade girls. Unpublished master's thesis, University
of Maryland, College Park.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image
Baum, C. (1983). Psychological and social factors associated with
adolescent obesity. Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia.
ABSTRACT: It has been argued that the greatest hazards of obesity, particularly
in childhood and adolescence, are not medical, but are psychological and
social. A theoretical framework has been proposed by previous authors understanding
the relationships between physical appearance and psychosocial functioning,
called the dynamic interaction model. ...(abridged)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Weight satisfaction; Childhood obesity
Bennett, V. D. C. (1977). An investigation of the relationships
among children's self concept, achievement, intelligence, body size and
the size of their figure drawing. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
ABSTRACT: (None) abstract
KEYWORDS: Body size; Draw-a-person test
Beunen, G. U., Leuven, B., Malina, R. M., Lefevre, J., Claessens, B.,
& Lysens, R. (1994). Size, fatness, and relative fat distribution
of males of contrasting maturity status during adolescence and as adults.
International Journal of Obesity and related metabolic disorders: Journal
of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 18(10), 670-678.
ABSTRACT: The somatic characteristics of boys of contrasting biological
maturity status during adolescence are compared at 13-18 years and at 30
years of age. There were no differences in skinfolds on the extremities.
None of the differences in somatic dimensions and ratios among the three
contrasting maturity groups are significant at 30 years of age except those
for subscapular skinfold and the trunk/extremity skinfold ratio.
KEYWORDS: Body size
Blackman, L., Hunter, G., Hilyer, J. Harrison, P. (1988). The effects
of dance team participation on female adolescence. Adolescence, 23(90),
437-448.
ABSTRACT: Eight dancers (mean age 14 yrs 10 mo.) were tested once prior
to and once 4 mo. after dance team participation. Eight participants from
physical education classes, match for age, weight, height, grade, and race,
were tested once at the same time as the 2nd dance team test. Physiological
tests were maximum oxygen uptake, sit-and-reach, 1-repetition maximum bench
press, skinfolds, and hydrostatic weighting. The self-concept tests were
Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and Body
Cathexis Scale. Results indicate that physical fitness is improved as a
result of dance team participation; however, self-concept seems to be affected
only minimally, if at all, compared with participation in physical education
classes.
KEYWORDS: Teenagers; Body cathexis
Boivin, M., & Begin, G. (1989). Peer status and self-perception
among early elementary school children: The case of the rejected children.
Child Development, 60(3), 591-596.
ABSTRACT: The study evaluated the relations among peer status, self- and
other-perceptions of social competence among 222 French-Canadian children
(9-11 years). Self-esteem, self-perception in different domains (academic,
social acceptance, athletic, physical appearance, and behavior/conduct),
and teacher's assessments were assessed along with peer status. No difference
was found between the self-perception scores of neglected and average subjects,
whereas controversial subjects displayed lower self-esteem. Results are
discussed in terms of their implications for the etiology of "at-risk"
children.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Self-perception
Brooks, L. O. (1989). Self-concept of the male adolescent with
short stature and the male adolescent with normal stature. Unpublished
master's thesis, Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image; Somatotropin; Child development deviations;
Pediatric endocrinology
Chrisholm, J. C. (1969). Adolescent self-portraits and body type.
Unpublished master's thesis, Aldephi University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body type; Somatotypes; Self-perception
Collins, P. (1975). Objective self-awareness, performance and
self-esteem of overweight and normal weight male high school students.
Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem
Correia, F. (1995). Trying to fit the mold: One young woman's experience
of dieting. Canada's Mental Health, 43(1), 14-19.
ABSTRACT: A case study of a seventeen year old girl evokes a young woman's
experience with weight reduction highlighting the contradictions and dilemmas
inherent in developing body esteem during adolescence.
KEYWORDS: Body-esteem; Body image; Adolescence
Daters, C. M. R. (1987). A comparison of the importance of clothing
and self-esteem by female adolescents from a metropolitan school district.
Dissertation Abstracts International, 47(12), 4842B, The University of Nebraska,
Lincoln.
ABSTRACT: The study sought to determine the relationship between the importance
of clothing and self-esteem in social, school, and leisure situations among
adolescents in a metropolitan city to elucidate the development of self
through personal appearance. Seventh and eighth grade female students responded
to a self-administered questionnaire composed of Newton's Clothing Comfort
Dimensions, Importance by Situation (1984) and the Karmos Sliding Person
Test of Self-esteem (1977). Significant relationships were found between
the importance of clothing and self-esteem scores in leisure situations.
As self-esteem decreased, clothing became less important in leisure situations.
Clothing was found to be unimportant for females with low self-esteem.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem
Davis, H., & Gergen, P. J. (1994). The weights and heights of
Mexican-American adolescents. American Journal of Public Health,
84(3), 459-462.
ABSTRACT: The study evaluated the accuracy of the self-reported weights
and heights of 392 male and 437 female Mexican-American adolescents (aged
12-19 yrs) in the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination survey. High
correlations were found between reported and measured values for weight,
height, and body mass index (BMI). However, subjects with low measured BMI
overestimated their weights, while subjects with high measured BMI underestimated
theirs. Younger subjects were more likely to underestimate their height,
while older subjects were more likely to overestimate theirs.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Body height
Drewnowski, A., Kurth, C. L., & Krahn, D. D. (1995). Effects
of body image on dieting, exercise, and anabolic steroid use in adolescent
males. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 17(4), 381-386.
ABSTRACT: The study examined body image, dieting and exercise variables,
and steroid use in 2,088 male high-school graduates (mean age 17.8 years).
Results indicate that men who wished to gain weight were more satisfied
with their body shape, showed no fear of fatness and dieted and exercised
less frequently than did men who wished to lose weight. Anabolic steroid
use was rare and was not associated with a desire for weight gain.
KEYWORDS: Body; Body image; Exercise; Diets; Steroid
Fabian, L. J. (1987). Correlates of body size distortion in young
females: Effects of age and pubertal status. Unpublished master's thesis,
University of South Florida.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body size; Body image
Fabian, L. J. (1989). A developmental study of the manipulation
of body esteem in pubertal and prepubertal females. Unpublished doctoral
dissertation, University of South Florida.
ABSTRACT: The study examined the effects of a manipulation designed to increase
levels of body esteem in pre- and postmenarcheal normal and underweight
females. A sample of 145 females were assessed on levels of body esteem,
self-esteem, concern with weight, and fear of negative evaluation. Results
indicated that the manipulation was ineffective in increasing levels of
body esteem. The findings also showed that both the control and experimental
groups increased similarly on this measure. The study also identified significant
relationships among body esteem, self-esteem, concern with weight, fear
of negative evaluation, and age for pre- and postmenarcheal girls.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image; Adolescence
Fabian, L. J., & Thompson, J. K. (1989). Body image and eating
disturbance in young females. International Journal of Eating Disorders,
8(1), 63-74.
ABSTRACT: The study selected 61 premenarcheal and 60 postmenarcheal female
adolescents (age 10-15) to be measured for levels of body size estimation
accuracy, body esteem, self-esteem, depression, eating disturbance, and
teasing history regarding appearance. Results indicate significant relationships
among eating disturbance, eating history, depression, self-esteem, and body
esteem. Premenarche subjects show stronger relationships between body esteem
and other measures, whereas postmenarche females had higher correlations
between size estimation indices and other variables.
KEYWORDS: Body size; Body image; Self-esteem; Appetite Disorders
Fiske, D. H. (1989). Body esteem and body information in late
adolescent females. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, York University,
Ottawa.
ABSTRACT: This study was a multivariate exploration of body esteem in late
adolescent females. A total of 144 female undergraduates (18-24 years) participated
in the study. Results indicated that body esteem was significantly associated
with body information and self-esteem, and negatively associated with some
indicators of weight concern.
KEYWORDS: Body esteem; Adolescent
Folk, L., Pedersen, J., & Cullari, S. (1993). Body satisfaction
and self-concept of third- and sixth-grade students. Perceptual and Motor
Skills, 76(2), 547-553.
ABSTRACT: Pubertal development has been implicated as the point of origin
for decreased body satisfaction (BDS) and self-concept for girls from prepubertal
levels and increased BDS and self-concept for boys. Subjects were 29 boys
and 18 girls in Grade 3, and 14 boys and 29 girls in Grade 6 who completed
a Body Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept
Scale to test this assumption. Boys in 6th grade scored lower on BDS than
boys in 3rd grade, and their self-concept scores were positively correlated
with body satisfaction scores. For girls, BDS scores were correlated with
self-concept in both grades, and few significant differences were found
between grades.
KEYWORDS: Body satisfaction; Self-concept
Fowler, K. L. (1981). The effects of various sport experiences
on the self-image and body-image of female and male high school students.
Unpublished master's thesis, University of Massachusetts.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Self-perception
Fox, E. T. (1989). A comparison of body image by sex and race
among overweight adolescents using two body image measures. Unpublished
master's thesis, University of Cincinnati.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image
Freedman, R. J. (1984). Reflections on beauty as it relates to health
in adolescent females. Women and Health, 9(2-3), 29-45.
ABSTRACT: The study examined the adjustment problems faced by adolescent
girls searching for beauty. It is suggested that despite the increasing
power of the media to define standards of appearance that exacerbate the
adolescent's problems, more positive counter-pressures from the women's
movement are providing young girls with alternative models. They are encouraged
to accept natural differences, to appreciate diversity of appearance, and
to cultivate strong, competent bodies rather than merely decorative ones.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Adolescence
Freeman, E. D. (1994). Developmental changes in the female adolescent
body image. Unpublished master's thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Self-perception in children; Self-perception in adolescence
Gardner, R. M., Urrutia, R., Morrell, J., & Watson, D. (1990).
Children's judgments of body size and distortion. Cognitive Development,
5(4), 385-394.
ABSTRACT: Body size estimates of 69 children, aged 5-13 yrs, were obtained
using a television video methodology. Subjects manipulated the width of
their body image on a television, and judged the accuracy of their television
image. The differences were due to differences in the biological sensory
system and not a bias to report that they were too fat or too thin.
KEYWORDS: Body size; Body image
Gloyd, P. W. (1992). The relationship between self-reported exercise
and body mass index among Navajo adolescents. Unpublished master's thesis,
University of Washington, Seattle.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body; Body mass index; Body image; Exercise; Self-concept
Gottlieb, R. J. (1992). The difference between self-concept and
body image of obese and normal young female adults. Unpublished master's
thesis, Southeast Missouri State University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image
Grant, C. L., & Fodor, I. G. (1986). Adolescent attitudes toward
body image and anorexic behavior. Adolescence, 21(82), 269-281.
ABSTRACT: The study examined the relationship between anorexic behavior
and selected dimensions of body image with 169 tenth - twelfth graders enrolled
in health, physical education, physical education, or psychology classes.
Results indicate that the dimension of self-esteem was the major factor
in the prediction of anorexic behaviors as measured by Eating Disorders
Inventory (EDI), supporting the contention that self-esteem and physical
attractiveness are associated with eating disorders in adolescence.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image; Anorexic behavior
Guillory, D. L. (1977). The relationship between body concept
and self-esteem in adolescents. Unpublished master's thesis, California
State University, Hayward.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Self-esteem; Adolescence
Hacklander, E. H. (1968). The relationship of concern for the
body and the clothing of adolescents. Unpublished master's thesis, Michigan
State University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Clothing and dress; Adolescence
Hall, L. S. (1992). The mother-daughter relationship as context
for the development of daughters' body image, self-esteem, and weight preoccupation.
Unpublished master's thesis, Florida State University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image; Body weight
Hammerstone, L. J. (1995). The media and adolescent females: Magazine
images and body image components. Unpublished master's thesis, Loyola
College, Maryland.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Mass media; Self-perception in adolescence; Body mass
Hendry, L. B., & Gillies, P. (1978). Body type, body esteem,
school, and leisure: A study of overweight, average, and underweight adolescents.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 7(2), 181-195.
ABSTRACT: The characteristics, sports and leisure involvement, and social
relations of approximately 1,000 students (15-16 years) were examined using
the Extraversion and Neuroticism Scales of the Eysenck Personality Inventory.
Subjects were categorized as "overweight," "underweight,"
or "average" in terms of ponderal index scores. Results show that
pupils with average physiques were superior to the other two groups in fitness.
Overweight and underweight adolescents appear to be at some disadvantage
in certain social and educational encounters.
KEYWORDS: Body esteem; Body type
Hill, A. J., & Bhatti, R. (1995). Body shape perception and dieting
in preadolescent British-Asian girls: Links with eating disorders. International
Journal of Eating Disorders, 17(2), 175-183.
ABSTRACT: An investigation of dietary restraint, body esteem, body satisfaction,
and body figure preferences was conducted with 55 Asian and 42 Caucasian
girls in the United Kingdom. Results revealed a high priority for thinness
in both groups, even though the Asian subjects had a significantly lower
body weight than the Caucasian subjects. Results also demonstrated that
the wide appeal of thinness, which in combination with intercultural and
intrafamilial conflict, appeared to be a strong influence on eating behavior.
KEYWORDS: Body image; Body esteem; Figure preferences; Eating disorders;
Body shape; Body satisfaction
Ikeda, J. P. (1992). Am I fat: Helping young children accept differences
in body size; suggestions for teachers, parents, and other care providers
of children to age ten. Santa Cruz, California: ETR Associates.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Obesity
Kemeny, L. (1988). Promoting fitness to adolescent girls: The
relationship among body image, self-esteem and attitudes toward women. Unpublished
master's thesis, Dalhousie University, Ottawa.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem
Koff, E., & Kiekhofer, M. (1978). Body-part size estimation in
children. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 47(3, Pt 2), 1047-1050.
ABSTRACT: A total of 30 children in first, third and fifth grades estimated
the sizes of eight personal body parts, eight experimenter (E)'s body parts,
and four non-body objects. Errors of estimation were consistent across subjects
and similar to those reported for adults. Hand length was estimated most
accurately, and head width, forearm length, and lips estimated least accurately,
on both self and E. Non-body objects were estimated most accurately, followed
by E's body parts, and then personal body parts. No sex of age differences
were found.
KEYWORDS: Body size
Leonard, J. L. (1994). The effects of body image advertising on
female adolescents' self-esteem and body-esteem. Unpublished master's
thesis, California State University, Northridge.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image
Levinson, R., Powell, B., & Stellman, L. (1986). Social location,
significant others and body image among adolescents. Social Psychology
Quarterly, 49(4), 330-337.
ABSTRACT: The study examined social factors that affected the self-evaluations
of body weight of more than 6,500 adolescents (12-17 years). Data suggest
adolescents tended to denigrate rather than enhance their body image. This
derogation was more pronounced for females than for males. Findings demonstrate
that social location and the views of significant others affect how adolescents
see themselves.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Body image
Lewis, S. A. (1988). Perception and preference of body size in
5-6 years old girls and family lifestyle factors that may influence their
perception and preference of body size. Unpublished master's thesis,
The University of Utah College of Nursing.
ABSTRACT: The study was designed to examine how accurately 5-6 year old
girls perceive themselves in terms of body size and how lifestyle habits
of the subject's parents was carried out in an attempt to demonstrate the
impact that the family has on the child's developing perception of bodily
self. Results indicate that there was a significant relationship between
the parents' diet history and their child's perception and preference of
body size.
KEYWORDS: Body size
Liebetrau, C. E., & Pienaar, W. D. (1974). The relation between
adjustment and body image at various age levels. Journal of Personality
Assessment, 38(3), 230-233.
ABSTRACT: The study scored the Rorschach Test responses of 80 children in
four age groups (6-12 years) for body boundary and body penetration awareness
using the revised body image indices devised by S. Fisher and S.E. Cleveland
in 1968. Results indicate differences between high- and low- adjusted subjects,
particularly at 10 years of age.
KEYWORDS: Body image
Lippert, J. (1993, November). Born to be fat. Redbook, The Magazine
for Young People, 182, 166.
ABSTRACT: A discussion on how to outsmart the body you were born with.
KEYWORDS: Body
Matthie, J. R. (1989). A multivariate study of adolescent exercise
behavior. Dissertation Abstracts International, 50(11), 3490B, United
States International University.
ABSTRACT: The study was designed to define the determinants of adolescent
exercise behavior. A multivariable self-reporting written instrument was
administered to 1184 students in 9th-12th grade of a required physical education
program. Results show that significant differences exist between inactive
and active adolescents in relation to physical self-perception, motivation
to comply with social influence, beliefs, and evaluations of those beliefs,
intentions, attitudes, cues and barriers to exercise, body mass index, and
scores on the self-motivation inventory, Social Learning Theory and Health
Belief Model indices.
KEYWORDS: Body weight
McDonald, A. F. (1966). Relationship between physical performance
scores and body image in seventh grade boys. Unpublished master's thesis,
University of Maryland, College Park.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image
McLean, C. L. L. (1975). Physical development, self-esteem and
social acceptance in early and late adolescence. Unpublished doctoral
dissertation, University of Colorado.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Self-esteem; Self-perception; Child development; Adolescent
psychology
Mendelson, B. K., & White, D. R. (1982). Relation between body-esteem
and self-esteem of obese and normal children. Perceptual and Motor Skills,
54(3, Pt 1), 899-905.
ABSTRACT: The study recruited 36 elementary school children aged 7.5-12
years to complete the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale as well
as a body-esteem questionnaire devised by the authors. Results show that
the Body-Esteem Scale was reliable and suitable for subjects as young as
seven years. Although body-esteem and relative weight were correlated, self-esteem
and relative weight were not significantly related.
KEYWORDS: Body esteem; Self-esteem
Mendelson, B., & White, D. (1985). Development of self-body-esteem
in overweight youngsters. Developmental Psychology, 21(1), 90-96.
ABSTRACT: The study recruited 97 children in 3 age groups (8.5-11.4, 11.5-14.4,
and 14.5-17.4 years) to examine the development of self-body-esteem in overweight
and normal weight subjects. Subjects were administered the Self-Esteem Inventory
and a measure of body-esteem. Results show that at the youngest age, overweight
and normal weight subjects had similar self-esteem. At the middle-age, self-esteem
was adversely affected only in overweight males. At all ages, overweight
subjects had lower body esteem than did normal-weight subjects. Although
self-esteem and body esteem were correlated, relative weight was the best
predictor of body esteem.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Self-esteem; Body esteem
Mendelson, B. K., White, D. R., & Mendelson, M. J. (1995). Children's
global self-esteem predicted by body-esteem but not by weight. Perceptual
and Motor Skills, 80(1), 97-98.
ABSTRACT: The study involved 243 girls and 168 boys who completed both the
Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents and the Body Esteem scale. Results
indicated that subjects' self-esteem did not appear to be influenced either
by their weight or by their feelings of their weight. The study found that
those who had positive feelings about their appearance and high opinions
about others' evaluations of their looks tended to have high self-esteem.
KEYWORDS: Body esteem; Body weight; Self-esteem; Adolescence
Miko, D. (1990). The self-concept, body-cathexis, and physical
fitness of ninth grade students subsequent to a nautilus fitness program.
DPE, Springfield College.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Self-concept; Body cathexis; Physical fitness
Miller, J. (1991). Factors in body size perception in elementary
students. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Wisconsin, Stout.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body size
Minahan, N. (1971). Relationships among self-perceived physical
attractiveness, body shape, and personality of teen-age girls. Doctoral
dissertation, University of Illinois at urbana - champaign.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body shape; Physical attractiveness; Personality; Teen-age girls;
Self-esteem
Moore, J. M. (1978). The relationship of obesity with the self-concept
and body image of school age children. Unpublished master's thesis,
University of Washington.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Self-perception; Obesity
Moore, D. C. (1993). Body image and eating behavior in adolescents.
Journal of The American College of Nutrition, 12(5), 505-510.
ABSTRACT: This study examined eating behavior in adolescents and dissatisfaction
with the proportion of increasing body weight. Results indicate that girls
are more likely to be distressed about excess size of their thighs, hips,
waists, and buttocks, and inadequate size of their breasts. Dieting and
purging are less likely than exercise to be chosen by boys as methods of
weight control. Body consciousness and altered body image are widespread
among adolescents, and may be associated with potentially harmful eating
practices in both sexes, but more so in girls.
KEYWORDS: Body image; Body size; Dieting; Body shape
Morris, C. N. (1992). Body satisfaction in adolescence. Unpublished
master's thesis, Humboldt State University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body satisfaction; Body image; Self-perception; Adolescence
Muellner, J. M. (1984). Body-image, perceived competence, and
self-esteem in school-age children with alterations in growth and development.
Unpublished master's thesis, University of Maryland.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image
Natali, D. J. (1994). Eating attitudes and appearance self-esteem
in a preadolescent population. Unpublished master's thesis, California
State University, Fresno.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image
Nelson, B. L. (1987). Changes in children's body concept as a
function of age, gender, and physical and emotional well-being. Unpublished
doctoral dissertation, Washington University.
ABSTRACT: The study examined the utility of the Body Concept Scale for Children
as young as eight years of age. It was hypothesized that older age as well
as emotional and hearing impairment would be negatively tied to body concept.
A total of 168 male and female children, aged 14 years, served as subjects
of this study. Results suggest that the behaviorally disturbed subjects
experienced a lowered self-esteem which in turn led to diminished feelings
of attractiveness. The observed age differences were related to an increasing
awareness for older children of the possibility of physical illness and
injury.
KEYWORDS: Body image; Body concept
Offman, H. J., & Bradley, S. J. (1992). Body image of children
and adolescents and its measurement: An overview. Canadian Journal of
Psychiatry, 37(6), 417-422.
ABSTRACT: A study of the evolution of body image (BI) as multidimensional
construct and the difficulties associated with the use of human figure drawing
(HFD) to measure BI. The discussion topics include the HFD as a measure
of self-esteem, multidimensional nature of adolescents' BIs, development
of BI, and understanding of the development of illness.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image; Human figures drawing; Adolescents
Olrich, T. (1991). The relationship of male identity, the mesomorphic
image, and anabolic steroid use in bodybuilders. Master's thesis, Michigan
state university.
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate the process and impact
of bodybuilding and, later, anabolic steroid use in the lives of ten bodybuilders.
The data were analyzed in light of two perspectives, namely the critical
feminist theory of hegemonic masculinity and self-concept. Structured interviews
were used to examine the process by which individuals became involved in
bodybuilding and, later, anabolic steroid use. ...(abridged)
KEYWORDS: Bodybuilding; Steroids
Orille-Sorio, C. P. (1978). Comparison of self-concept of the
obese and non-obese black adolescent. Unpublished master's thesis, University
of Missouri, Kansas.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Self-concept; Adolescence
Orr, D. A. (1988). Body image, self-esteem, and depression in
burn-injured adolescents and young adults. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,
Fordham University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem
Overdahl, V. A. (1987). Adolescent self-esteem and body esteem
by gender, percent body fat, and activity level. Unpublished master's
thesis, Washington State University, Pullman.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Youth attitudes; Obesity
Page, R. M. (1992). Feelings of physical unattractiveness and hopelessness
among high school students. High School Journal, 75(3), 150-155.
ABSTRACT: This study examined whether adolescents with poor perceptions
of physical attractiveness were more likely to suffer from feelings of hopelessness
(HLN) than were those who perceived themselves as attractive. The subjects
consist of 630 females and 654 males in Grades 9-12. There was a significant
perceived physical attractiveness effect on HLN. However, HLN did not differ
across gender by perceived attractiveness groups.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Physical attractiveness; Body awareness; Self-perception;
Body esteem
Pantleo, P. M. (1966). An investigation of body image in adolescents.
Unpublished master's thesis, New Mexico Highlands University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image
Parker, S., Nichter, M., Nichter, M., & Vuckovic, N. (1995).
Body image and weight concerns among African-American and White adolescent
females: Differences that make a difference. Human Organization,
54(2), 103-114.
ABSTRACT: The study examined body image ideals and dieting behaviors among
46 African-American and 211 White adolescent females (aged 14-18 years).
African-American were found to be more flexible than their White counterparts
in their concepts of beauty and spoke about "making what you have got
work for you." White adolescent females expressed dissatisfaction with
their body shape and were found to be rigid in their concepts of beauty.
KEYWORDS: Body image; Adolescence; Body shape
Pauley, L. L. (1991). Age of onset of obesity with locus-of-control,
self-esteem, body image, depression and level of object relations as important
discriminating variables. Dissertation Abstracts International, 52(01),
573B, California School of Professional Psychology, Fresno.
ABSTRACT: The study examined the extent to which locus of control, self-esteem,
depression, body image, and level of object relations development contributed
to age of onset of obesity. A total of 90 obese adults participated in the
study. Results indicated that body image was the most important discriminating
variable. The juvenile group was less accurate in determining their body
size. As compared to the adult group, the juvenile group was less internally
controlled, reported less difficulty in their relationships with others
and had better self-esteem. These results are presented in a social learning
framework which suggests the juvenile group, not having a longer history
of being overweight and experiencing social stigmatization, had learned
a variety of coping skills which the adult group had not.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image; Locus-of-control
Paxton, S. J., Wertheim, E. H., Gibbons, K., Szumukler, G. I., Hillier,
L., & Petrovich, J. (1991). Body image satisfaction, dieting beliefs,
and weight loss behaviors in adolescent girls and boys. Journal of Youth
and Adolescence, 20(3), 361.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Weight satisfaction; Body image
Pierce, J. W., & Wardle, J. (1993). Self-esteem, parental appraisal,
and body size in children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
and Allied Disciplines, 34(7), 1125-1136.
ABSTRACT: The study investigated the influence of body size, parental appraisal
of body size, and children's beliefs about parental appraisal of body size,
and children's beliefs about parental appraisal on self-esteem in children
aged 9-11 yrs. A total of 409 parent-child pairs were administered a survey
about body size. Results suggest that children are accurate predictors of
parental evaluation and that their self-esteem scores are influenced both
by actual parental dissatisfaction and beliefs about parental dissatisfaction.
KEYWORDS: Body size
Prillwitz, J. (1989). The relationship of measured body size to
self-esteem in eighth grade male students. Unpublished master's thesis,
University of Wisconsin, Stout.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Body image; Self-perception in adolescence; Self-esteem
Rose, F. V. (1988). Discriminate analysis of variables affecting
childhood obesity. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University
of Mississippi.
ABSTRACT: The study analyzed 23 variables by discriminate function analysis
and found differences between obese and non-obese children on 12 of these
variables. Subjects were 81 fourth graders who were observed in their school
cafeteria and on their playground. The variables which separated the two
groups were the children's estimate of body size, the class's estimate of
each child's body size, the number of bites per minute, the silhouette the
children would most like to play with, weight siblings, the percent of active
play during recess, the number of bites of meat per meal, nutrition, mother's
weight, the children's rating of knowledge of their popularity as a work
partner, and the duration of a meal.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Obesity
Rosenbaum, M. B. (1993). The changing body image of the adolescent
girl. New York: Brunner/Mazel, Inc.
ABSTRACT: Content representation: (a) changing body image during adolescence,
with an emphasis on how the girl attempts to integrate the sexual and reproductive
aspects of her maturing body into the changing psychic concept of her body,
(b) the role of the changing body image plays in relation to the developmental
tasks of adolescence, (c) how the body image and self-image are interrelated
and influenced by the ongoing interaction with the social environment and
our culture that has tended to see women more as objects than subjects.
KEYWORDS: Body image; Self-perception; Adolescence; Psychosexual development
Rubin, M. A. (1988). Adolescent attitudes toward obesity in women:
A study of sociodemographic variables. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
ABSTRACT: The study examined adolescents' attitudes toward obesity in women,
race, age, sex, social status and obesity status. A sample of 355 students
enrolled in mandatory health classes in the 7th and 10th grade were asked
to answer a questionnaire. Attitude was measured using a 20 item Semantic
Differential Scale in addition to a Likert Scale of beliefs and behavioral
predispositions. The data revealed that adolescents are keenly aware of
the negative social and aesthetic implication of obesity in society. Results
also indicated that age, socioeconomic status or weight status (BMI) were
shown to have no significant relationship with attitude toward obesity when
all other variables were controlled.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Adolescent; Obesity
Rumpel, C., & Harris, T. B. (1994). The influence of weight on
adolescent self-esteem. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38(6),
547-556.
ABSTRACT: The study examined whether heavier children are more likely to
have lower self-esteem (SE) and external locus of control (LOC) than normal
weight children. Results suggest a lack of effect of weight on SE in the
general population. The association between overweight and SE in clinical
populations may reflect other psychological characteristics of overweight
children followed in clinics.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body weight; Internal-external locus of control
Sagle, S. M. (1977). Assessment of perceived and ideal body image
among children aged seven, nine, and eleven years. Unpublished master's
thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Ideal body; Body image
Salmons, P., Lewis, V., Rodgers, P., Gatherer, A. (1988). Body shape
dissatisfaction in schoolchildren. Second Leeds psychopathology symposium:
the psychopathology of body image. British journal of psychiatry,
153(2), 27-31.
ABSTRACT: Assessed body shape dissatisfaction among 304 schoolboys and 708
schoolgirls(aged 11-18 years) to see whether schoolboys were still more
concerned than girls about being undersized rather than oversized. Ss were
administered a composite screening questionnaire, developed from an eating
attitudes test and an eating disorders inventory. Items about body parts
focused of the face, stomach, chest, hips, bottom, and thighs. The 11-13
yr. old boys and girls were concerned about the size of the stomach. Other
than having a fear of becoming overweight, boys showed no unifying concern
with the size of body parts. Girls' concern with the shape and size of body
parts increases with age.
KEYWORDS: Body shape; Body esteem
Sandquist, S. L. (1979). Adolescent perception of body image.
Unpublished master's thesis, Florida International University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Self-perception
Selzer, R., Bowes, G., & Patton, G. (1995). When is an adolescent
too thin. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152(5), 813-814.
ABSTRACT: The study suggests incorporation of percentile body mass index
into the definition of weight loss, particularly for diagnosing cases of
adolescent anorexia nervosa. Current use of percent of ideal body weight
in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV)
is difficult with height and age growth charts for nonadults.
KEYWORDS: Body weight
Sena, R. E. (1992). The development of body weight and shape preferences
and dieting. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Indiana University.
ABSTRACT: This study investigated the development of body weight and shape
preferences and dieting, children's concepts of attractiveness, body image,
knowledge of dieting, and self-reported dieting behavior. The study was
comprised of three tasks: silhouette questions and attractiveness judgments,
knowledge of dieting, and self-report of weight loss and weight gain. Results
showed that the majority of children express body dissatisfaction by five
years of age. The nature of body dissatisfaction, however, seems to change
with age. Children reported attempts at weight loss more than weight gain.
Girls were more likely to report attempts at weight loss than were boys.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Dieting
Shasby, G., & Kingsley, R. F. (1978). A study of behavior and
body type in troubled youth. Journal of School Health, 48(2), 103-107.
ABSTRACT: The study investigated the relationship of selected physiological
and morphological variables of male youths exhibiting persistent and inappropriate
behaviors. A shape index, percent body fat, number of chin-ups, and other
variables were recorded for 51 behaviorally disordered youths and for a
comparison group randomly selected from a junior-senior high school. The
behaviorally disordered youth appeared to be significantly more mesomorphic
on the shape index and to have lower total percent body fat.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body type; Youth
Simolike, W. R. (1990). Accuracy of perceived heaviness in children
relative to age and gender. Philadelphia.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body size
Smith, D. E., & Cogswell, C. (1994). A cross-cultural perspective
on adolescent girls' body perception. Perceptual and Motor Skills,
78(3, Pt 1), 744-746.
ABSTRACT: The study examined perceptions of body weight among 122 Jamaican
girls (aged 15-18 yrs). The subjects completed a survey requesting demographic
information such as height, weight, and age and their perceptions of their
body weight. Data suggest that Jamaican society's favorable attitudes toward
plumpness are strong enough to counteract foreign preoccupations with thinness.
KEYWORDS: Body image; Body weight; Adolescence
St. Charles, A. (1981). An interdisciplinary model for the treatment
of obesity in young girls. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University
of Tennessee, Knoxville.
ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of an interdisciplinary model in treating obesity
in three young girls (ages 4 to 8), was studied over a 20-week period. Treatment
effects were measured in terms of weight, height, fatfold, and behavioral
changes. The results of the study have several implications as a result
of using a single-case experimental design that overcomes many of the limitations
inherent in group comparison studies, which include: (1) ethical issues,
(2) problems in collecting a large enough group of subjects with appropriate
characteristics, (3) a tendency to neglect reporting individual outcome
results, (4) less control over within-subject variability.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Obesity
Stevens Simon, C., Nakashima, I. I., & Andrews, D. (1993). Weight
gain attitudes among pregnant adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health,
14(5), 369-372.
ABSTRACT: The study tested the hypotheses that negative attitudes toward
pregnancy weight gain are more common among younger pregnant adolescents,
and negative attitudes toward pregnant weight gain adversely affect adolescent
maternal weight gain. Results show that formulating a positive body image
does not foster more negative attitudes toward pregnancy weight gain among
younger adolescents. Negative weight gain attitudes are more common among
heavy and depressed adolescents and adolescents who do not perceive their
families as supportive, and may adversely affect pregnancy weight gain.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Adolescent
Storz, N. S. (1982). Body image of obese adolescent girls in a high
school and clinical setting. Adolescence, 17(67), 667-672.
ABSTRACT: The study compared 27 obese females (12-17 years) with 20 age-matched
subjects seeking help for their obesity in hospital-affiliated program for
weight reduction. Subjects completed a descriptive data questionnaire and
a human figure drawing test. Drawings were judged according to Witkin's
Articulation of Body Concept Scale. Subjects showed a significantly greater
difference in their selection of outline drawings of the female figure perceived
to represent their actual as compared to ideal body sizes. No significant
difference was found in articulation or body concept as revealed in human
figure drawings; however, the difference between the mean scores of the
2 groups in articulation of body concept and negative adjectives used to
describe present appearance approach significance in a t-test analysis.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Body image; Obesity; Adolescent
Thelen, M. H., Powell, A. L., Lawrence, C., & Kuhnert, M. E. (1992).
Eating and body image concerns among children. Journal of Clinical Child
Psychology, 21(1), 41-46.
ABSTRACT: The study assessed 191 nonobese 2nd, 4th, and 6th graders about
their eating and body image concerns. Results are discussed in terms of
societal pressure on children concerning their body weight. Analyses for
grade effects revealed that 4th and 6th grade girls were more concerned
about being or becoming overweight and were more dissatisfied with their
body image than were 2nd grade girls. No grade differences were found among
the boys.
KEYWORDS: Child attitudes; Body image; Diets; Body weight
Thelen, M. H., & Cormier, J. F. (1995). Desire to be thinner
and weight control among children and their parents. Special series: Body
dissatisfaction, binge eating, and dieting as interlocking issues in eating
disorders research. Behavior Therapy, 26(1), 85-99.
ABSTRACT: The study examined body weight, desire to be thinner (DTBT), and
weight control attempts in 35 fourth grade boys and 35 girls (aged 9-10.5
yrs), and their parents with the use of questionnaires. Results indicated
that girls had greater DTBT than boys, but they did not report more dieting.
Although DTBT for girls was positively correlated with dieting. There were
no significant correlations between mother's and fathers' DTBT and weight
control measures, and those of their sons and daughters.
KEYWORDS: Body-weight; Weight control
Thompson, S. H. (1993). Adolescent males' body image perceptions
of themselves and females. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University
of South Carolina.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image
Tice, M. B. (1977). Physical fitness, body cathexis, and self-cathexis
among seventh-grade students. Unpublished master's thesis, San Diego
State University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Physical fitness
Tienboon, P., Wahlqvist, M. L., & Rutishauser, I. H. (1992).
Self-reported weight and height in adolescents and their parents. Journal
of Adolescent Health, 13(6), 528-532.
ABSTRACT: The study compared self-reported and measured weight and height
in 109 boys and 95 girls (all aged 15 yrs) and their parents (130 fathers,
190 mothers). Results indicated that body size had little effect on the
extent of underestimation of weight and overestimation of height. Group
means reported for weight and height are likely to be as valid a measure
of actual weight and height for adolescents as they are for adults.
KEYWORDS: Body size
Tienboon, P., Rutishauser, I. H. E., & Wahlqvist, M. L. (1994).
Adolescents' perception of body weight and parents' weight for height status.
Journal of Adolescent Health, 15(3), 263-268.
ABSTRACT: Weight and height were measured in both parents and adolescents
from 213 families with an adolescent child aged 14-15 yrs who were participating
in a community-based study of risk factors for coronary heart disease in
Geelong, Australia. Findings confirm gender differences in perceptions of
and attitudes to body weight and body build. The study reveals evidence
for an association between adolescents perceptions of body weight and parents'
weight for height status. The study also suggests that the size of the "gap"
between desired and actual weight is associated with the prevalence of weight-loss
behavior.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Body height; Body image; Body build
Tigard, M. S. V. (1975). The influence of body configuration and
body cathexis on clothing fabric preferences of adolescent females.
Unpublished master's thesis, University of Nevada, Reno.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body cathexis; Body configuration
Tiggemann, M. (1995). Ideal body shape preferences and eating disorder
scores in adolescent women. Psychology and Health, 10(4), 345-347.
ABSTRACT: The study investigated the relationship between body shape preference
and eating disorder scores in 142 adolescent Australian women. The results
indicate that young women with high bulimic scores expect to be thinner
than what they perceive as attractive. Perfectionism seems to trigger this
body image.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Ideal body shape preferences; Eating disorder scores;
Body shape
Tolman, D. L., & Debold, E. (1994). Conflicts of body and
image: Female adolescents, desire, and the no-body body. New York: Guilford
Press.
ABSTRACT: Content representation: girls are vulnerable, whether they live
in the impossible confines of an (idealized body) image or in the fullness
of their flesh; living as images with their feelings flattened and appetites
unknown, they are at psychological risk; living fully in a young woman's
body can be physically dangerous; suggest that it is psychologically healthier
for girls to resist the dissociation from their bodies demanded by the image
of the desirable women, through staying connected to their bodily hungers;
neither solution-body or image-ensures the health and safety of girls
KEYWORDS: Body image; Social influences
Toro, J., Castro, J., Gracia, M., & Perez, P. (1989). Eating
attitudes, sociodemographic factors and body shape evaluation in adolescence.
British Journal of Medical Psychology, 62(1), 61-70.
ABSTRACT: An eating attitudes test (EAT) and another questionnaire aimed
at sociodemographic and body shape information were administered to 706
female and 848 male students (age 12 0 19 years) from Barcelona, Spain.
Results were analyzed in terms of sociocultural pressures on adolescents,
particularly females, who are subjected to the "culture of slenderness."
The highest scores on EAT were obtained by girls, older subjects, overweight
subjects, and subjects practicing diets who consider themselves obese.
KEYWORDS: Body size; Body shape; Adolescence
Townsend, G. (1990). Body esteem and self-esteem of overweight
children and adolescents in a residential weight loss program. Unpublished
master's thesis, Humboldt State University.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Body image; Self-perception; Adolescence and children
Turrentine, S. H. (1981). The relationship between body mass and
self-concept in preadolescents and adolescents. Dissertation Abstracts
International, 42(06), 2313B, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
ABSTRACT: The study investigated the relationship between obesity and self-concept
in preadolescents and adolescents. Data was collected from 85 sixth and
168 ninth graders on socioeconomic status, race, sex, body mass, self-concept
and academic achievement. The preadolescents demonstrated significant negative
correlations between greater than normal body mass and the self-concept
dimensions of self acceptance, self security, social maturity, social confidence,
and peer affiliation. Results also showed significant positive correlations
between self-concept and academic achievement for both preadolescents and
adolescents. The study provides evidence that preadolescent and adolescent
obesity correlated strongly with poor self-concept and low academic achievement.
KEYWORDS: Body mass; Self-concept; Obesity
Usmiani, S. (1992). Relationships between self-esteem, gender
role identity, and body image in adolescent girls and their mothers.
Unpublished master's thesis, University of British Columbia.
ABSTRACT: (None)
Self-esteem; Body image
Valentine, J. B. (1992). Adolescents' self-perception of body
size and youth risk behaviors. Unpublished master's thesis, University
of South Carolina.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body size; Self-perception
Waite, P. O. (1995). Exploring preadolescent attitudes toward
obesity. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Harvard Graduate School
of Education.
ABSTRACT: (None)
KEYWORDS: Body image; Obesity
Wardle, J., & Marsland, L. (1990). Adolescent concerns about
weight and eating: A social-developmental perspective. Journal of Psychosomatic
Research, 34(4), 377-391.
ABSTRACT: Research was conducted through interviews with 846 children from
multicultural schools in London neighborhoods of differing socioeconomic
background concerning their attitudes to weight and eating. Results show
that weight concerns are beginning earlier than in the past. Girls from
higher socioeconomic status (SES) background schools showed more concern
than those from lower SES schools, although they were actually slimmer.
KEYWORDS: Body weight; Body image; Adolescence
Wardle, J., Bindra, R., Fairclough, B., & Westcombe, A. (1993).
Culture and body image: Body perception and weight concern in young Asian
and Caucasian British women. Journal of Community and Applied Social
Psychology, 3(3), 173-181.
ABSTRACT: Cultural influences on body image were evaluated by comparing
the body size ideals, body image, and dieting concerns in 274 young White
and Asian British women (aged 14-22 yrs). Results indicated that Asian women
were less likely to describe themselves as too fat, less dissatisfied with
their body size, less likely to want to lose weight, and less restrained.
The hypothesis that any body satisfaction differences could be explained
by differences in ideal body size between the two groups was not supported;
Asian women favored even slimmer ideal body sizes than White women.
KEYWORDS: Body size; Body image; Dieting ; Body satisfaction
Wertheim, E. H., Paxton, S. J., Maude, D., Szmukler, G. I., Gibbons,
K., & Hiller, L. (1992). Psychosocial predictors of weight loss
behaviors and binge eating in adolescent girls and boys. International
Journal of Eating Disorders, 12(2), 151-160.
ABSTRACT: A total of 606 female and 315 male high school students were selected
in the study that examined the predictors of dieting, extreme weight loss
behaviors, and binge eating in adolescents. Results indicated that the primary
predictor of weight loss behaviors in both sexes and binge eating in girls
was the desire to be thinner.
KEYWORDS: Body size
Body image; Weight reduction
Wilson, D. B., Sargent, R., & Dias, J. (1994). Racial differences
in selection of ideal body size by adolescent females. Obesity Research,
2(1), 38-43.
ABSTRACT: This study measured perception of ideal body size among 93 black
and 80 white females, ages ranged 14-17 years, who were randomly selected
from three public high schools in a southeastern state. The subjects' height
and weight were measured along with their estimates of their mother's body
size. There was a significant difference between black and white females
in their selection of body size; blacks preferred a larger body size than
whites for ideal body size. These results may indicate it is more acceptable
to be overweight in black culture than it is in white culture.
KEYWORDS: Overweight; Body image; Body size; Ethnic groups; Obesity; Ideal
body; Adolescence
Zakin, D. F., Blyth, D. A., & Simmons, R. G. (1984). Physical
attractiveness as a mediator of the impact of early pubertal changes for
girls. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 13(5), 439-450.
ABSTRACT: The study examined the effects of early pubertal development and
physical attractiveness on the popularity, body image, and self-esteem of
286 White sixth-grade girls, focusing on two rival hypotheses: (a) physically
attractive girls, because of their more favorable social environment, will
exhibit fewer psychosocial difficulties than unattractive girls during pubertal
development, (b) attractive girls will exhibit greater difficulty during
pubertal transition because their self-image is more intimately connected
with their physical appearance. Results show that although there were no
significant interactions between attractiveness and pubertal development
for either popularity or body image, the second hypothesis was supported
with respect to self-esteem: Developing attractive girls exhibited lower
self-esteem than their unattractive counterparts.
KEYWORDS: Self-esteem; Body image; Physical attractiveness
Zemel, B. S. (1989). Dietary change and adolescent growth among
the Bundi (gende-speaking) people of Papua New Quinea. Dissertation
Abstracts International, 51(01), 209A, University of Pennsylvania.
ABSTRACT: The relationships between nutritional stress, adolescent growth
and endocrine development are examined in order to explore the physiological
mechanisms that underlie this aspect of human plasticity. The study shows
the importance of the rate of growth an maturation in adolescence as an
indicator of nutritional status, since body size during adolescence reflects
prior nutritional stress and hereditary factors. Sex differences in the
secular growth changes suggest that body size may be more ecosensitive in
males, and maturation rate more sensitive in females. These results suggest
that adrenal androgens have subtle but significant effects in regulating
growth and maturation in response to nutritional intakes.
KEYWORDS: Body size; Dietary change; Adolescence growth