%0 Journal Article
%T Body weight perceptions among youth from six countries and associations with social media use: Findings from the International Food Policy Study.
%A Hock K
%A Vanderlee L
%A White CM
%A Hammond D
%J J Acad Nutr Diet
%V 0
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 26
%M 38942287
%F 5.234
%R 10.1016/j.jand.2024.06.223
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Body dissatisfaction is associated with poor psychological and physical health, particularly among young people. However, limited data exist on body size perceptions across countries and factors associated with dissatisfaction.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>This study examined dissatisfaction prevalence and associations with sociodemographics and social media use among youth in six countries.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Repeat cross-sectional national online surveys were conducted as part of the 2019 and 2020 International Food Policy Study Youth Survey.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>The sample included 21,277 youth aged 10-17 from Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Youth were recruited to complete the online survey through parents/guardians enrolled in the Nielsen Consumer Insights Global Panel and their partners' panels.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Figural drawing scales assessed self-perceived and ideal body images, with differences between scales representing body dissatisfaction.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Multinomial logistic regression models examined differences in body dissatisfaction by country, and associations with sociodemographics and either social media 'screen time' or platforms used, including 2-way interactions with country.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Overall, approximately 45% of youth reported the same perceived and ideal body sizes, while 35% were 'larger than ideal' (from 33% in Canada and Australia to 42% in Chile) and 20% were 'thinner than ideal' (from 15% in Chile to 22% in Mexico). Greater social media screen time was associated with a higher likelihood of moderate-severe dissatisfaction for being 'thinner than ideal' and at least mild dissatisfaction for being 'larger than ideal' (p<0.003 for all contrasts), with greater dissatisfaction among users of YouTube and Snapchat than non-users (p≤0.005 for both contrasts). Modest differences in body dissatisfaction between countries were observed for age, ethnicity, body mass index, and weight-based teasing.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Body dissatisfaction is prevalent among youth across diverse countries. These findings highlight the need to promote healthy body image in youth, particularly among social media users.