Body (dis)satisfaction among early adolescents in a peripheral urban community in Brazil: a cross-sectional study
1
Health and Society, School of Public Health of University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Puberty constitutes a pivotal transition in early adolescence, marked by rapid bodily changes and the incorporation of prevailing norms related to body, gender, and sexuality transmitted through family, peers, and media [1]. Such transformations have been consistently associated with body dissatisfaction, rendering body image concerns especially salient between ages 10 and 14 [1,2]. In peripheral urban territories, these dynamics unfold amid intersecting forms of social vulnerability, reinforcing the importance of examining how young adolescents relate to their bodies under conditions of multiple adversities [3,4].
METHODS:
This cross-sectional quantitative study draws on data from the Brazilian arm of the Global Early Adolescent Study. Analyses include 974 cisgender adolescents aged 10 to 14 years residing in a peripheral area of São Paulo, with data collected between August and December 2021. Descriptive analyses were stratified by gender to evaluate gender differences in body image and satisfaction patterns. Hierarchical linear regression models examined factors associated with body satisfaction across four blocks: sociodemographic characteristics, familial context, extrafamilial context, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Additional linear regressions tested associations between perceived body image and body satisfaction. Variables with p ≤ 0.05 or inducing changes of at least 10% in coefficients were retained, even when statistical significance decreased after adjustment.
RESULTS:
Perceiving oneself as distant from socially valued standards of weight and pubertal development was linked to lower body satisfaction, with stronger associations among girls. Supportive family relations and frequent peer interactions outside the household were positively related to body satisfaction. The accumulation of ACEs showed a robust negative association. Sexual abuse and bullying victimization remained independently associated with lower body satisfaction after adjustment.
CONCLUSIONS:
The findings highlight the centrality of relational contexts and cumulative adversity in shaping body satisfaction during early adolescence, emphasizing the interrelation between violence, deprivation, and bodily self-evaluation in marginalized urban settings.
Puberty constitutes a pivotal transition in early adolescence, marked by rapid bodily changes and the incorporation of prevailing norms related to body, gender, and sexuality transmitted through family, peers, and media [1]. Such transformations have been consistently associated with body dissatisfaction, rendering body image concerns especially salient between ages 10 and 14 [1,2]. In peripheral urban territories, these dynamics unfold amid intersecting forms of social vulnerability, reinforcing the importance of examining how young adolescents relate to their bodies under conditions of multiple adversities [3,4].
METHODS:
This cross-sectional quantitative study draws on data from the Brazilian arm of the Global Early Adolescent Study. Analyses include 974 cisgender adolescents aged 10 to 14 years residing in a peripheral area of São Paulo, with data collected between August and December 2021. Descriptive analyses were stratified by gender to evaluate gender differences in body image and satisfaction patterns. Hierarchical linear regression models examined factors associated with body satisfaction across four blocks: sociodemographic characteristics, familial context, extrafamilial context, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Additional linear regressions tested associations between perceived body image and body satisfaction. Variables with p ≤ 0.05 or inducing changes of at least 10% in coefficients were retained, even when statistical significance decreased after adjustment.
RESULTS:
Perceiving oneself as distant from socially valued standards of weight and pubertal development was linked to lower body satisfaction, with stronger associations among girls. Supportive family relations and frequent peer interactions outside the household were positively related to body satisfaction. The accumulation of ACEs showed a robust negative association. Sexual abuse and bullying victimization remained independently associated with lower body satisfaction after adjustment.
CONCLUSIONS:
The findings highlight the centrality of relational contexts and cumulative adversity in shaping body satisfaction during early adolescence, emphasizing the interrelation between violence, deprivation, and bodily self-evaluation in marginalized urban settings.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
