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Description
Desire to attain an idealized figure, as influenced by the media and cultural pressures, has been shown to be associated with disordered eating. Research indicates that body dissatisfaction increases during puberty, and is an important risk factor in the development of disordered eating. Previous research among Jordanian women has indicated that figure ideals are vacillating between traditional, curvaceous body ideals and the Western thin-ideal. Little is known about figure ideals and the impact of Western media on disordered eating attitudes and behaviors among adolescent Jordanian females. A total of 199 females age 11 to 17, attending Al-Ahliyyah School for Girls (ASG) in Jordan, took part in the study. The aim of the ASG study was to assess eating behaviors, body dissatisfaction, body esteem, and the role of Western media in adolescent girls in one private school via a cross-sectional survey. The current study examined the association between body dissatisfaction and Western media on disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Body dissatisfaction was measured using Stunkard's silhouettes, as well as the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA); the impact of Western media was measured by Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale-3 (SATAQ-3); disordered eating attitudes and behaviors were measured by Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). All scales were previously validated in Jordan. Results revealed that participants were predominately of normal weight, perceived themselves as thinner than they were, and desired a slight weight loss to attain the thin-ideal with 53.8% presenting body dissatisfaction. Body image ideals were comparable to those of Westernized nations; yet, they reported neutral levels of body esteem and societal and Western media pressures to achieve a certain body image ideal, and lower than anticipated disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. As expected, bivariate and linear regression analyses identified associations between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Similarly, societal and Western media influences were associated with disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, though only moderately. Tailored educational programs among Jordanian adolescent females are needed to promote healthy weight maintenance and eating practices, as well as to cultivate a healthy and positive body image during puberty when body dissatisfaction often escalates.
