Body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children

Children's perceptions of their weight, body image, and misjudgment of their actual body size can lead to body dissatisfaction, increasing health concerns related to childhood obesity. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between body dissatisfaction and body weight status (...

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Main Authors: Abdul Karim, Wan Mohd Nurussabah, Abu Saad, Hazizi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science (I A E S) 2025
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118595/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118595/1/118595.pdf
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author Abdul Karim, Wan Mohd Nurussabah
Abu Saad, Hazizi
author_facet Abdul Karim, Wan Mohd Nurussabah
Abu Saad, Hazizi
author_sort Abdul Karim, Wan Mohd Nurussabah
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Children's perceptions of their weight, body image, and misjudgment of their actual body size can lead to body dissatisfaction, increasing health concerns related to childhood obesity. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between body dissatisfaction and body weight status (BWS) perception among overweight and obese children aged IO and 11 years. A total of 398 overweight and obese participants were selected and recruited from eleven primary schools in the state of Kedah, Malaysia. The questionnaire on body image perception was adapted from 'The Seven Male and Female Child Figure Rating Scale,' and information on BWS perception was collected through a question on how respondents perceived their current BWS. The majority of children (89.4%) desired a smaller body size, and 55.5% did not perceive their BWS correctly; 50% were categorized as "underestimators," and 5.5% as "overestimators." There was no significant association between body size discrepancy score and age (p = 0.110). However, a significant association was found between the perception of current body image and Body Mass Index (BMI) (p < 0.001). The high discrepancies between the perception of current body image and actual weight status need to be addressed, as this misperception could hinder overweight and obese children from successfully achieving a healthy body weight.
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spelling upm-1185952025-07-18T02:50:28Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118595/ Body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children Abdul Karim, Wan Mohd Nurussabah Abu Saad, Hazizi Children's perceptions of their weight, body image, and misjudgment of their actual body size can lead to body dissatisfaction, increasing health concerns related to childhood obesity. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between body dissatisfaction and body weight status (BWS) perception among overweight and obese children aged IO and 11 years. A total of 398 overweight and obese participants were selected and recruited from eleven primary schools in the state of Kedah, Malaysia. The questionnaire on body image perception was adapted from 'The Seven Male and Female Child Figure Rating Scale,' and information on BWS perception was collected through a question on how respondents perceived their current BWS. The majority of children (89.4%) desired a smaller body size, and 55.5% did not perceive their BWS correctly; 50% were categorized as "underestimators," and 5.5% as "overestimators." There was no significant association between body size discrepancy score and age (p = 0.110). However, a significant association was found between the perception of current body image and Body Mass Index (BMI) (p < 0.001). The high discrepancies between the perception of current body image and actual weight status need to be addressed, as this misperception could hinder overweight and obese children from successfully achieving a healthy body weight. Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science (I A E S) 2025-06 Article PeerReviewed text en cc_by_sa_4 http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118595/1/118595.pdf Abdul Karim, Wan Mohd Nurussabah and Abu Saad, Hazizi (2025) Body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children. International Journal of Public Health Science, 14 (2). pp. 869-876. ISSN 2252-8806;eISSN: 2620-4126 https://ijphs.iaescore.com/index.php/IJPHS/article/view/25523 10.11591/ijphs.v14i2.25523
spellingShingle Abdul Karim, Wan Mohd Nurussabah
Abu Saad, Hazizi
Body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children
title Body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children
title_full Body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children
title_fullStr Body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children
title_full_unstemmed Body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children
title_short Body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children
title_sort body dissatisfaction and body weight status perception among overweight and obese children
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118595/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118595/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118595/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118595/1/118595.pdf