Prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and association with teasing behaviors and body weight control in adolescents

ABSTRACT

Abstract Aims: The objective was to estimate the prevalence and the factors of behaviors of provocation and control of the weight associated with dissatisfaction with the body image among adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 580 adolescents (11 to 17 years old) from Criciúma, Brazil. The body image was evaluated by the silhouettes scale and the behaviors of provocation and weight control by questionnaires. A multinomial logistic regression was used (p ≤ 0.05). Results: Of the total number of adolescents, 48.6% were dissatisfied with being overweight (male 47.9%, female 49.3%) and 22.9% dissatisfied with thinness (male 23.8%, female 22.1%). Male adolescents who were dissatisfied with being overweight were more likely to be joked and laughed at because of their appearance and lower chances of being nicknames due to their size or body weight, while those who were unsatisfied with being thin were more likely to joke and laughter because of the appearance, compared to satisfied. Female adolescents who were dissatisfied with being overweight were more likely to be laughed at because they were uncoordinated and without food for 24 h, while those who were unsatisfied with being thin were less likely to be joking and laughing because of their appearance and higher chances to be the targets of laughter because they are uncoordinated, compared to those that are satisfied. Conclusion: The dissatisfaction with body image was associated with different behaviors of provocation and weight control according to sex.