A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Adolescent Girls' Body Perception 1

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the body perception of 122 Jamaican adolescent girls. The study is a part of a larger project investigating the psychosocial adjustment of these adolescents. Included in the survey were items asking for demographic information such as height, weight, and age. In addition, subjects were asked to indicate whether they were pregnant and whether they considered themselves under- or overweight. Using the standard system of desirable weight the subjects' perceptions of whether they were under- or overweight were compared with their actual weights. In general, Jamaican adolescent girls had accurate perceptions of their body size and weight.