Insatisfação com a imagem corporal em adolescentes pertencentes a escolas públicas no município de Cuité-PB.

Abstract

Adolescence comprises a critical period of human growth and development, marking numerous changes. These can be the biological and psychosocial type, having changes in body and personality formation, occurring this way an influence in the affective-emotional development. The highest influences patterns are nutritional, beauty and health models, which can lead to eating disorders, nutritional deficiency and body image dissatisfaction. The objective of this study was evaluate nutritional status, food consumption and body image perception in teenagers belonging to public schools in a Paraíba county. The studied population were teenagers with 10 to 15 years old, male and female, corresponding to the adolescence initial phase, where anthropometric measurements, food consumption and body image perception were evaluated. Were measured body weight and height, BMI was calculated and evaluated with World Health Organization (WHO) specific curves for children and teenagers, defining nutritional status. Therefore, for the analysis of the teenagers food consumption, qualitative food frequency questionnaires, composed by all food groups, were applied. Regarding body image perception, the teenagers were evaluated using the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). Data analysis was realized by the statistical program Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows version 22.0. It is possible observe that the majority of teenagers are in adequate nutritional status, 58.9% female and 46.1% male, and satisfied with their body image (75.40%). However, there are still cases of insatisfaction, being more associated with excess weight people. In relation of daily consumption, the most consumed foods were rice, beans, beef, pasta, tomato, bread, margarine and banana. Therefore, although this diet is typical of the phase and most of them were in eutrophy state and satisfied with body image, it is necessary a greater intervention in the collective or individual to avoid health problems and possible eating disorders.