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Bakhshi, Savita (2010) Demographic group differences in the predictors and consequences of negative body image in White and South Asian groups. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
Body image presents an important area for research in the current decade. Body image can be described as a combination of a person's perceptions, feelings and thoughts about his/her physical appearance that can have implications for their psychological and physical health. Negative body image and its consequences - body dissatisfaction and dieting behaviour - have been reported widely across different samples, and a variety of different psychological, social, cultural and demographic factors have been found to influence this state. Past research has found that there are differences in body image concerns between different cultural groups. More recent research has shown that British Asians are at risk of developing eating disturbances and often show similar or more body shape and weight concerns than their White peers. For this reason, the aim of this thesis was to investigate demographic group differences in the predictors and consequences of negative body image in White and South Asian groups. The interactions between the predictors and processes, and their contribution to negative body image were also investigated, using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The results of the first study in Chapter 2 showed that nearly three-quarters of the sample was dissatisfied with their current body shape (54% wanted to be smaller and 18% wanted to be bigger), as assessed by the Figure Rating Scale (Stunkard, Sorenson, and Schulsinger, 1983). Women were more dissatisfied than men {F(l, 164) = -3.43, p< .001), and adolescents were more dissatisfied than the early adulthood group {F(l, 164) = 10.77, p< .001). No ethnic group differences for body dissatisfaction were found. Dieting prevalence was also investigated in White and South Asian adolescents in a two-part study in Chapter 3. Firstly, an investigation of ethnic and age group differences in dieting behaviour in adolescent girls showed that around a third of the sample had dieted in the past and about a fifth was dieting at present. No ethnic or age group differences for past and present dieting behaviour were found. Secondly, an investigation of gender and ethnic group differences in dieting to lose weight found that a higher proportion of White boys were presently dieting than Asian Indian boys (x2 (1) = 4.23, p= .04). No other gender or ethnic group differences were found, but healthy eating and being happy with the body were significant predictors of dieting behaviour in all the groups. A study investigating the associations between different factors in the development of negative body image (Chapter 4) showed that there were significant associations between an individual's perceptions and their weight and shape dissatisfaction levels. Dieters and non-dieters differed for their dissatisfaction levels, as non-dieters were more satisfied with their body weight {U= - 2.81, p= .01, r= -.23) and shape {U= -2.81, p= .01, r= -.29) compared to dieters. Using various body image questionnaires, the following study (Chapter 5) showed that a large amount of the total variance in body dissatisfaction (72%) was explained by biological, psychosocial and cultural factors. Perceived shape and gender were common significant predictors of body.
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