title: Body Image Self-Discrepancy and Depressive Symptoms Among Early Adolescents.
abstract: This study examined whether body image self-discrepancy was a correlate of depressive symptoms among 556 early adolescents (45% girls; Mage= 11.65, SD = .94 years).
  
  
  
  Participants completed self-report measures of their self-perceived actual and ideal body shapes and depressive symptoms. Sex-stratified polynomial regressions were used to examine the associations between depressive symptoms and (1) agreement (i.e., similar actual and ideal body shapes); (2) discrepancy (i.e., different actual and ideal body shapes); (3) direction of discrepancy (i.e., actual > ideal or actual < ideal); and (4) degree of discrepancy (i.e., how different actual and ideal body self-perceptions are).
  
  
  
  For both sexes, depressive symptoms were more frequent when the direction of the discrepancy was such that participants perceived their actual body was larger than their ideal body. Furthermore, depressive symptoms were more frequent when the degree of the discrepancy between actual and ideal body shape perceptions was larger.
  
  
  
  Based on these findings, body image self-discrepancy may be a risk factor for depressive symptoms among early adolescents.
authors: Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Shauna
authors: S
authors: Solomon-Krakus
authors: Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: catherine.sabiston@utoronto.ca.
authors: Catherine M
authors: CM
authors: Sabiston
authors: School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Brunet
authors: Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors: Andree L
authors: AL
authors: Castonguay
authors: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors: Katerina
authors: K
authors: Maximova
authors: Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, University of Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors: Mélanie
authors: M
authors: Henderson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept
keywords: Actual body; Adolescence; Body image dissatisfaction; Depressive symptoms; Discrepancy; Ideal body; Polynomial regression analyses