title: Nobody's perfect: a qualitative examination of African American maternal caregivers' and their adolescent girls' perceptions of body image.
abstract: Using semi-structured interviews, we explored African American maternal caregivers' and their adolescent girls' (N=25 dyads) perceptions about the adolescent's body using Grounded Theory. Caregivers and adolescent girls (Mage=13.42) were asked what the adolescent girls liked most/least about their bodies and how peers and media may affect adolescent girls' perceptions. While some adolescent girls reported overall body satisfaction, others described features they would like to change. Belief in God, body acceptance, and appreciation for average/moderate features helped the adolescent girls maintain their positive body image. The body-related messages that adolescent girls received from caregivers and peers included compliments, pressure to lose weight, teasing, and advice. Adolescent girls also reported being either influenced by or skeptical of the images presented in the media. Programs that promote caregiver-adolescent communication about body perceptions and that build on the adolescent girls' media skepticism may prove useful for their health-related attitudes and behaviors.
authors: Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 810 West Franklin Street, PO Box 23284, Richmond, VA 23284, USA. Electronic address: popema2@vcu.edu.
authors: Michell
authors: M
authors: Pope
authors: Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 810 West Franklin Street, PO Box 23284, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
authors: Rosalie
authors: R
authors: Corona
authors: Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 810 West Franklin Street, PO Box 23284, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
authors: Faye Z
authors: FZ
authors: Belgrave
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept
keywords: African American girls; Body image; Media; Parent–adolescent communication; Peers