title: Correlates of Body Dissatisfaction in Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess body dissatisfaction among children between 9 and 14 years of age and to examine factors (age, sex, body mass index, perceived shape, and self-esteem) associated with wanting a thinner or a larger shape.
  
  
  METHODS
  Through at-school questionnaires, 1515 preadolescent children (51.2% girls) were asked to fill out the Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventory and the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (body dissatisfaction). Trained assessors then weighed and measured the students individually.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 50.5% of girls wanted a thinner shape compared with 35.9% of boys. More boys wanted a larger shape compared with girls (21.1% vs 7.2%). Most of the preadolescents who were overweight or obese were unsatisfied whereas 58.0% of girls and 41.6% of boys who were underweight were satisfied with their body. Results of a multinomial logistic regression revealed that age, sex, body mass index, perceived shape, and self-esteem were significant correlates of the 4 body dissatisfaction contrasts (wanting a slightly thinner, much thinner, slightly larger, and much larger shape) and explained 50% of the variance. An interaction between sex and perceived shape was found, revealing that girls who perceived themselves as having a larger shape were more likely to desire a thinner shape than boys.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high prevalence rate of body dissatisfaction among children suggests that current approaches in our society to prevent problems related to body image must be improved. The different results between girls and boys highlight the need to take into account sex differences when designing prevention programs that aim to decrease body dissatisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Quebec, Canada; CRIPCAS (Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Conjugal Problems and Sexual Abuse), Saguenay, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche universitaire interdisciplinaire sur la qualité et les saines habitudes de vie (Interdisciplinary Research Center on Quality and Healthy Lifestyles), Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: jacinthe_dion@uqac.ca.
authors.forename: Jacinthe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dion
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hains
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vachon
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche universitaire interdisciplinaire sur la qualité et les saines habitudes de vie (Interdisciplinary Research Center on Quality and Healthy Lifestyles), Saguenay, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plouffe
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Quebec, Canada; ÉCOBES Recherche et transfert, Cégep de Jonquière, Saguenay, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laberge
authors.affiliation: ÉCOBES Recherche et transfert, Cégep de Jonquière, Saguenay, Québec, Canada; Department of Social Sciences, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perron
authors.affiliation: CRIPCAS (Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Conjugal Problems and Sexual Abuse), Saguenay, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McDuff
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalinova
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche universitaire interdisciplinaire sur la qualité et les saines habitudes de vie (Interdisciplinary Research Center on Quality and Healthy Lifestyles), Saguenay, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leone
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011792:Quebec; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology