Author:

• Samuel de Carvalho Dumith - Dumith, S.C. - Rio Grande - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <scdumith@yahoo.com.br>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5994-735X

Co-author(s):

• Ana Maria Baptista Menezes - Menezes, A.M.B - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <anamene.epi@gmail.com>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4129-0898
• Renata Moraes Bielemann - Bielemann, R.M - Pelotas, RS - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <renatabielemann@hotmail.com>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0202-3735
• Sandra Petresco - Petresco, S - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <sapetresco@yahoo.com>
• Inácio Crochemore Mohnsan da Silva - Silva, ICM - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <inacio_cms@yahoo.com.br>
• Rogério da Silva Linhares - Linhares, RS - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <rogerio.linhares@gmail.com>
• Tales Costa Amorim - Amorim, TC - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <tales11mc@gmail.com>
• Daniel Vanti Duarte - Duarte, DV - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <dvduarte@hotmail.com;>
• Cora Luiza Pavin Araújo - Araujo, CLP - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <cora.araujo@terra.com.br>
• Janaína Vieira dos Santos - Santos, JV - Universidade Federal de Pelotas - <janavieira@terra.com.br>

Thematic Area:

Epidemiologia

Abstract:

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the body dissatisfaction among adolescents, and to explore differences according to sex, socioeconomic status and body mass index.
Methods: We studied 4325 individuals aged 14-15 years old from Pelotas, Brazil. Body dissatisfaction was evaluated comparing the wished image with the perceived image, according to Tiggemann & Wilson-Barret silhouettes scale. The nutritional status was categorized according to World Health Organization criteria, while the socioeconomic status was classified by Brazilian Association of Research Institutes.
Results: We observed that 27.6% of teens were above the normal body weight. Body dissatisfaction, appraised by silhouettes scale, reached 51.0% of boys and 65.6% of girls. The economic and nutritional status were associated with the outcome. Most overweighted adolescents wished to have a lower image than the perceived one. The economic level modified the effect of nutritional status on body dissatisfaction.
Conclusions: Richest adolescents away from normal body weight showed greater body dissatisfaction than the poorest ones and, independently of economic status, girls are more dissatisfied with excess body weight and boys with slimness.

Keywords:

Body image Nutritional status Weight perception Body mass index Adolescent

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