Abstract
Australian and Fijian adolescent girls reported on the influence that sociocultural factors, including parents, peers, and the media, had on their body image attitudes. It was expected that messages that promote a thin body would be less prevalent among Fijians, as their cultural traditions place more importance on robust body sizes. An inductive thematic analysis of the girls’ semi-structured interviews indicated that both Fijian (n = 16) and Australian (n = 16) girls (aged 13–17) reported messages from similar sources, which included parents, siblings, and friends/peers. Australian girls consistently reported messages that reinforced thinness. On the other hand, Fijian girls reported messages that emphasized both thinness and robustness. The discussion focuses on the conflict between Western ideals and cultural Fijian traditions and the implications for culturally sensitive interventions.
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The first author acknowledges the scholarship support she is receiving from the Wellcome Trust/Australian/New Zealand International Collaborative Research Council to complete her doctoral work. Authors also acknowledge the support and guidance from the team’s Senior Research Fellow, Dr. Helen Mavoa.
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Williams, L.K., Ricciardelli, L.A., McCabe, M.P. et al. A Comparison of the Sources and Nature of Body Image Messages Perceived by Indigenous Fijian and European Australian Adolescent Girls. Sex Roles 55, 555–566 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9109-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9109-9