Abstract
The prevalence of obesity is higher in African American compared to European American women. Ethnic differences in body-shape perceptions such as greater acceptance of overweight figures, higher levels of body shape satisfaction, or an underestimation of one's body-shape have been suggested as possible contributors. The purpose of this investigation was to compare body-shape perceptions and body mass index of older African American and European American women. Eighty-nine European American and 115 African American women (mean age, 72 years) completed a questionnaire, composed of three parts: general demographic and anthropometric information, and questions regarding body-shape perceptions. The results suggested an underestimation of body-shape in African American women as a possible contributor to obesity. The findings of the present study suggested that in order to enhance the effectiveness of dietary interventions in older African American women, measures to assess the accuracy of self-perceived body-shape should be included.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrahms, K. K., Allen, L. R., & Gray, J. J. (1993). Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, psychological adjustment, and ethnic identity: a comparison of black and white female college students. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 14, 49–57.
Akin, G. E., & Grilo, C. M. (1995). Sociocultural influences on eating attitudes and behaviors, body image, and psychological functioning: a comparison of African-American, Asian-American, and Caucasian college women. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 18, 181–187.
Anderson, L. A., Eyler, A. A., Galuska, D. A., Brown, D. R., & Brownson, R. C. (2002). Relationship of satisfaction with body size and trying to loose weight in a national survey of overweight and obese women aged 40 and older, United States. Preventive Medicine, 35, 390–396.
Becker, D. M., Yanek, L. R., Matson Koffman, D., & Bronner, Y. C. (1999). Body image preferences among urban African-Americans and Whites from low income communities. Ethnicity and Disease, 9, 377–386.
Bouchard, C., & Perusse, L. (1988). Heredity and body fat. Annual Review of Nutrition, 8, 259–277.
Brown, P. J., & Konner, M. (1987). Anthropological perspective of obesity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 499, 29–36.
Chandler, B., Abood, A., Dae, T., & Cleveland, Z. (1994). Pathogenic eating studies and behaviors and body dissatisfaction differences among black and white college students. Eating Disorders, 2, 319–328.
Clark, L. H. (2002). Older women’s preferences of ideal body weights: the tension between health and appearance motivations for weight loss. Ageing and Society, 22, 751–773.
Evan, E. M., Rowe, D. A., Racette, S. B., Ross, K. M., & McAuley, E. (2005). Is the current BMI classification appropriate for black and white postmenopausal women? International Journal of Obesity, 30, 837–843.
Fitzgibbon, M. L., Blackman, L. R., & Avellone, M. E. (2000). The relationship between body image discrepancy and body-mass index across ethnic groups. Obesity Research, 8, 582–589.
Grogan, S. (1999). Body Image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women, and children. London: Routledge.
Harris, S. M. (1995). Family, self, and sociocultural contributions to body-image attitudes of African-American women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19, 129–145.
Johnson, R. W., & Broadnax, P. A. (2003). A perspective on obesity: Analysis of trend of obesity among African-American women. Association of Black Nursing Faculty Journal, 14(3), 69–70.
Kemper, K. A., Sargen, R. G., Drane, J. W., Valois, R. F., & Hussey, J. R. (1994). Black and white females’ perception of ideal body size and social norms. Obesity Research, 2, 117–26.
Kuczmarski, R. J., Flegal, K. M., Campbell, S. M., & Johnson, C. L. (1994). Increasing prevalence of overweight among U.S. adults. Journal of the American Medical Association, 272, 205–211.
Kumanyika, S. K. (1994). Obesity in minority populations: an epidemiologic assessment. Obesity Research, 2, 166–182.
Lawlor, D. A., Bedford, C., Taylor, M., & Ebrahim, S. (2002). Agreement between measured and self-reported weight in older women. Results from the British women’s heart and health study. Age and Ageing, 31, 169–174.
Lee, I. M., Manson, J. E., Hennekens, C. H., & Paffenbarger, R. S. (1993). Body weight and mortality. Journal of the American Medical Association, 270, 2823–2828.
Liburd, L. C., Anderson, L. A., Edgar, T., & Jack, L. (1999). Body size and body shape: perceptions of black and white women with diabetes. Diabetes Education, 25, 382–388.
Lieberman, L. S., Probart, C. K., & Schoenberg, N. E. (2003). Collegia Antropologia, 27, 79–86.
Magness, R. R., & Poston, L. (2005). Molecular, cellular and endocrine signaling in the perinatal cardiovascular system: Interplay and developmental programming. Journal of Physiology, 10, 565.
Paeratakul, S., White, M. A., Williamson, D. A., Ryan, D. H., & Bray, G. A. (2002). Sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and BMI in relation to self-perception of overweight. Obesity Research, 10, 345–350.
Patt, M. R., Lane, A. E., Finney, C. P., Yanek, L. R., & Becker, D. M. (2002). Ethnicity and Disease, 12, 54–62.
Perez, M., & Joiner, T. E. (2003). Body image dissatisfaction and disorders eating in black and white women. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 33, 342–350.
Rucker, C. E., & Cash, T. F. (1992). Body images, body-size perceptions, and eating behaviors among African-American and white college women. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 12, 291–299.
Rush, E. C., Goedecke, J. H., Jennings, C., Micklesfield, L., Dugas, L., Lambert, E. V., et al. (2007). BMI, fat and muscle differences in urban women of five ethnicities from two countries. International Journal of Obesity, 31, 1232–1239.
Schieman, S., Pudrovska, T., & Eccles, R. (2007). Preferences of body weight among older adults: Analyses of the intersection of gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 62B, S415–S423.
Schuler, P. B., Broxon-Hutcherson, A., Philipp, S. F., Ryan, S., Isosaari, R. M., & Robinson, D. (2004). Body-shape perceptions in older adults and motivations for exercise. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 98, 1251–1260.
Snooks, M. K., & Hall, S. K. (2002). Relationship of body size, body image, and self-esteem in African-American, European-American, and Mexican-American middle-class women. Health Care for Women International, 23, 460–466.
Sobal, J., & Stunkard, A. J. (1989). Socioeconomic status and obesity: A review of the literature. Psychological Bulletin, 105, 260–275.
Stevens, J., Kumanyika, S. K., & Keil, J. E. (1994). Attitudes toward body size and dieting: differences between elderly black and white women. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 1322–1325.
Stunkard, A. J., Sorensen, T., & Schulsinger, F. (1983). Use of the Danish Adoption Register for the study of obesity and thinness. In S. Kety (Ed.) The genetics of neurological and psychiatric disorders. New York: Raven.
Wilfley, D. E., Schreiber, G. B., Pike, K. M., Striegel-Moore, R. H., Wright, D. J., & Rodin, J. (1996). Eating disturbances and body image: a comparison of a community sample of adult black and white women. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 20, 377–387.
Villanueava, E. V. (2001). The validity of self-reported weight in US adults: a population based cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 1, 11. Retrieved from http://www.biomedicalcentral.com/1471–2458/1/11.
Xiaoxing, Z., & Baker, D. W. (2004). Changes in weight among a nationally representative cohort of adults aged 51 to 61, 1992 to 2000. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 27, 8–15.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schuler, P.B., Vinci, D., Isosaari, R.M. et al. Body-Shape Perceptions and Body Mass Index of Older African American and European American Women. J Cross Cult Gerontol 23, 255–264 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-008-9061-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-008-9061-y