title: Ethnicity, body image perception and weight-related behaviour among adolescent Females attending secondary school in Trinidad.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The correlates of body image perception among an ethnically diverse group of adolescent females attending secondary school in Trinidad were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was carried out among adolescent females from selected secondary schools in Trinidad. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic items and standardized psychometric instruments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and fifty-one students participated in the survey with an ethnic composition as follows: Indo-Trinidadian (35.9%), Afro-Trinidadian (28.7%), Indo-Afro mixed Trinidadian (21.9%) and other (13.5%). The results suggest that 2.4% of the participants reported having a medical diagnosis for an eating disorder Indo-Trinidadians had significantly greater body dissatisfaction than Indo-Afro-mixed Trinidadians but not more than Afro-Trinidadians (p = 0.04). Also, a significantly higher proportion of Indo-Trinidadians engaged in binge eating behaviour compared to the other ethnic groups (p < 0.001). Afro-Trinidadians were more likely to use vomiting as a mean of weight control compared to Indo- and Indo-Afro-mixed Trinidadian (p < 0. 05). Fifty-one per cent of participants had a negative body image perception. Altered body image perception was associated with a significant higher mean Body Shape Questionnaire BSQ 16 score (p < 0.001) and increased likelihood of reporting being diagnosed with an eating disorder (OR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.78, 2.31; p = 0.01) compared to non-altered body image state. Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) score was positively correlated with Drive-for-Thinness (p < 0.001) and BSQ16 (p < 0.001) scores and inversely correlated with the Rosenberg self-esteem score (p = 0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this group of adolescents, there are ethnic differences in the level of concern over body image and associated eating, and weight-related behaviour.
authors: Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Ramberan
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Austin
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Nichols
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005006:Ethnicity; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011594:Psychometrics; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago