Agreement with satisfaction in adolescent body size between female caregivers and teens from a low-income African-American community.
OBJECTIVE
To describe body size satisfaction and agreement among low-income, urban, African-American adolescents, and female caregivers.


METHODS
Two hundred and fifteen adolescent-caregiver pairs completed measures of demographics, anthropometrics, and body size satisfaction.


RESULTS
Adolescent-caregiver agreement on body size satisfaction varied by body mass index (BMI) category. Among normal weight adolescents, 61% of adolescent-caregivers agreed that current body size was ideal. Among adolescents at risk for overweight, 38% of adolescent-caregivers agreed that current body size was ideal, and 38% were discordant with adolescents wanting to be thinner and caregivers satisfied with current body size. Among overweight adolescents, adolescent-caregiver agreement was 67%; 52% agreed the adolescent should be thinner and 15% agreed current body size was ideal.


CONCLUSIONS
Body size satisfaction is related to BMI category for adolescents and caregivers, but adolescents have a lower threshold. Encouraging caregivers to elicit their adolescents' views on body size satisfaction may enable caregivers to support their adolescents in addressing weight-related issues.
Mitola
Andrea L
AL
737 W. Lombard Street, Room 161, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. mblack@peds.umaryland.edu
Papas
Mia A
MA
Le
Katherine
K
Fusillo
Lauren
L
Black
Maureen M
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000886:Anthropometry; D001290:Attitude / Q000208:ethnology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors