A qualitative analysis of college women's experiences with dieting.

OBJECTIVE: Dieting is a known risk factor for disordered eating, yet many college women engage in this behavior. Given the popularity of diets, and the risks associated with dieting, it is important to enhance understanding of dieters' experiences. This study utilized a qualitative approach to investigate college women's experiences of dieting. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-four woman-identifying undergraduates [42% White, 24% Asian, 20% Black, 14% other; Mage = 19.18 (1.77)] who endorsed dieting were included in the study. METHODS: Participants provided short-answer responses to open-ended questions. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: The following themes were identified: A complicated relationship, variability of experiences, and social factors. Subthemes highlighted the complexity of college women's dieting behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide important insight into college women's dieting experiences and their consequences. Future qualitative research should aim to understand how to apply these findings to eating disorder prevention efforts.

Examining Teacher Concerns and Anxiety on the Implementation of a Universal Body Image Program.

In the past 30 years, there have been numerous positive body image and eating disorder prevention programs targeting youth developed for school-based settings. Frequently, teachers are used as interventionists to increase dissemination, decrease costs relative to researchers, and increase scalability. However, little is known about teacher concerns and barriers that may hinder successful uptake and implementation. The current study recruited a total of 269 teachers who consented to implement a universal body image and appearance-related bullying and teasing prevention program in their classrooms as part of a randomized controlled trial. Teachers expressed some worry that they may say the wrong thing, and concern about feeling uncomfortable teaching the program due to their own body dissatisfaction. Teacher's ethnicity, gender, years teaching, dieting behaviors and other weight control behaviors, and self-efficacy were not associated with concerns related to teaching the curriculum. Teachers with lower body esteem reported higher concerns and anxiety related to teaching a body image curriculum. In free response items, teachers worried about handling student comments that were beyond the scope of the curriculum. Teacher self-efficacy was the only variable associated with the number of program sessions implemented. Findings suggest avenues to increase implementation.

Validity and reliability of the Body-Esteem Scale among a diverse sample of preadolescent youth.

Researchers have called for more psychometric research on body image assessment measures in children. The Body-Esteem Scale (BES) is a commonly used 24-item measure of self-evaluation of body image in youth, yet only one study has evaluated the psychometric properties of this measure in preadolescent children. The goal of the present study was to replicate and extend the original psychometric work on the BES by examining the factor structure, reliability, and convergent validity in a diverse sample of children ages 9-11 years old. Teachers who taught 4th- and 5th-grade students in the United States were invited to participate. A total of 556 students completed an online survey in their classrooms. Findings indicate a one-factor model best fits the data after eliminating three BES items. The BES had strong scale score consistency. Supporting the convergent validity of the BES, body-esteem scores were positively correlated with general self-esteem and body satisfaction scores, while negatively correlated with body dissatisfaction, engagement in appearance conversations, and social comparison scores. There were no significant group differences on mean BES scores between gender and grade level. Overall, the BES is suitable to assess the body esteem of preadolescent children. Future research needs to replicate these findings and examine the BES's ability to detect a change in body-esteem scores across time in youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examination of hair experiences among girls with Black/African American identities.

Negative hair experiences can impact psychological well-being and are an integral part of development through childhood, adolescence, and beyond. The current study utilized a mixed-methods approach to capture the lived experiences of girls relating to their hair. Participants were 105 girls between the ages of 10-15 years old recruited via social media, email, and social organizations with Black/African American, or biracial communities. Satisfaction with natural hair, perceived bullying and teasing relating to hair, social comparisons, and pressure from family and friends were assessed. Approximately, 22% of 10-year olds, 14% of 11-year olds, 54% of 12-year olds, 35% of 13-year olds, and 32% of 14-year olds reported experiencing hair related teasing. Engaging in hair comparison with models/celebrities in the media and peers was significantly associated with less hair satisfaction. Similarly, girls that reported greater frequency of hair-related teasing also had significantly lower scores on hair satisfaction. Finally, having friends who like one's natural hair was significantly associated with higher hair satisfaction scores. Black/African American girls and their experiences around hair have been largely neglected in psychology and body image research, and more research on this topic is required to gain a better understanding of the role it plays in developing young girls.