Body image in children: gender and age differences, and relationships with sports participation

Submission note: A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Public Health to the School of Public Health and Human Biosciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora.

Recent evidence has emerged suggesting that children can experience body image concerns. This is of particular concern given the relationship between body image disturbances and disordered eating, obesity, depression and low self esteem. Thus, there is a need for more research examining multiple dimensions of body image that are relevant for both girls and boys. Specifically, issues about desire for muscularity, height satisfaction, and social physique anxiety have been examined rarely in younger populations. Further, given the potential benefits of sport and physical activity for children, research is required to clarify the relationship between body image and participation in sports in children. The primary aim of this research was to contribute to the knowledge base of body image in children by examining age and gender differences on multiple dimensions of body image that are relevant to boys and girls. A secondary aim of this research was to identify possible associations between various dimensions of body image and participation in sports in children. It was hypothesised that there would be gender and age differences in measures relating to body image, and that aspects of body image would influence children‟s participation in sports. Three hundred and thirty nine boys and girls from grades 3 to 6 from a representative sample of 13 Catholic elementary schools in the North and West metropolitan region of Melbourne, Australia, participated in the study. Results from the examination of a wide spectrum of body image dimensions, including body size satisfaction, body esteem, desire for muscularity, height satisfaction, and social physique anxiety, showed that there were differences with respect to age and gender. There were no differences in body image for participants in aesthetic and non-aesthetic sports.