title: Body image drawings dissociate ethnic differences and anorexia in adolescent girls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To distinguish between ethnic differences among segregated schoolgirls and restrictive anorexia nervosa using a simple culture-fair test of body image (BI) figure drawings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Several responses to BI figure drawings by 178 adolescent schoolgirls from three ethnically distinct and segregated schools and communities in Israel, Jewish secular (JS), Jewish Haredi (H), and Christian Arab (C), and a group of 14 severely restricting anorexic girls (AN). BI evaluations were analyzed by MANCOVA, followed by paired or Student-t tests for comparisons between responses and groups respectively. Pearson r served for correlations and the Fisher Z for differences between slopes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite the total ethnic segregation among the schoolgirls, there are commonalities; all prefer a thinner ideal BI, and are similarly dissatisfied with their BI. However, ethnic differences also emerge: C underestimate their BI and how others view them, and H true and Ideal BI evaluations correlate, unlike the other groups. Despite this variability, and in stark contrast, the anorexic girls show a gross misperception of their BI, even in comparison to girls equated for BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings show that figure drawings evaluation of BI is a simple and robust instrument dissociating clinical and ethnic responses. Clinicians may consider body figure drawings as a simple, supportive, diagnostic for first-line recognition for risk of AN in adolescent girls.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Unit, Department of Diabetes, Haifa and Western Galilee, Clalit Health Services, Lin Medical Center, Rothschild Street 37, Haifa, Israel.|Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, 31905 Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Galit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goldzak-Kunik
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, 31905 Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Micah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leshem
keywords: Adolescent girls; Anorexia nervosa; Body image dissatisfaction; Body image figure drawings; Ethnic differences