Title:
Ethnic identification and body image in African American adolescent females
Author:
Jenelle R. Robinson
Thesis Advisor:
Kerri Goodwin
Committee Member:
Deborah Haskins
Committee Member:
Charles LoPresto
Committee Member:
Jenny L. Lowry
Committee Member:
James Buckley
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola University Maryland
Date Created:
2006
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
reformatted digital
Abstract:
The current research investigated the relation between ethnic identity and body image in a sample of 82 African American adolescent females to determine if greater ethnic identity and associated greater subscription to African American cultural values would predict more positive body image, more body image satisfaction, as well as more orientation toward health and fitness. The goal of the research was to determine if promoting ethnic identity development in African American adolescent girls could also promote healthy views of the body and a fit, healthy lifestyle, possibly as prevention against body image disturbances and poor health practices. Data for this research were gathered from adolescent females in grades 9 through 12, including newly graduated 12th graders (grade 13), between the ages of 14 and 19. Participants were selected from various community institutions including an urban Catholic High School, a suburban college preparatory summer program, two African American church youth groups, an urban high school volleyball team, and a suburban community youth group. Ethnic identity was the predictor variable hypothesized to be associated with body image in this adolescent population. Body image, a multifaceted variable, was defined by four component criterion variables that were hypothesized to be positively associated with ethnic identity. The measures used to measure the criterion variables were: MBSRQ-AE Scale, measuring appearance evaluation (global body image), MBSRQ-BASS, measuring body area satisfaction, BRS-17, measuring body image satisfaction, and combined MBSRQ-FO/HO scales, to measure fitness/health orientation. Ethnic identity, the predictor variable, was measured with the RMEIM. A brief demographic survey was also administered. Data analysis consisted of executing tests of correlation, followed by simple regression analyses. The correlation analysis determined that ethnic identity was significantly associated with appearance evaluation (global body image), as was a factor of ethnic identity, affirmation/belonging. In this study ethnic identity was not significantly associated with body image satisfaction; however, ethnic identity was significantly associated with body image satisfaction for particular body areas. While ethnic identity was also not significantly associated with fitness/health orientation, a relation approaching significance was observed. Simple regression analyses determined that ethnic identity achievement was predictive of higher levels of body image satisfaction for body areas, and of more positive appearance evaluation (global body image), explaining 11% and 8% of the variances, respectively. Further research in this line of inquiry should continue to investigate health, fitness, body views, and cultural factors within African American female populations across the lifespan and develop culturally relevant measures for such research.
Subject:
African American teenage girls--Ethnic identity
Subject:
Body image in adolescence
Subject:
Self-perception in adolescence
Subject:
Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-AE (MBSRQ-AE)
Subject:
Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-BASS (MBSRQ-BASS)
Subject:
Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-FO/HO (FO/HO)
Subject:
Body Image Satisfaction Questionnaire (17 scales)
Subject:
Revised Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (RMEIM)
Degree:
Doctor of Psychology
Level:
Doctoral
Discipline:
Psychology
Restrictions on Access:
Author has given permission to make this work available online to Loyola Notre Dame Library basic constituency.
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Identifier:
RobinsonJR-06
