Television exposure predicts body size ideals in rural Nicaragua

Article


Boothroyd, Lynda G., Jucker, Jean-Luc, Thornborrow, Tracey, Jamieson, M., Burt, D. Michael, Barton, Robert A., Evans, Elizabeth H. and Tovee, Martin J. 2016. Television exposure predicts body size ideals in rural Nicaragua. British Journal of Psychology. 107 (4), pp. 752-767. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12184
AuthorsBoothroyd, Lynda G., Jucker, Jean-Luc, Thornborrow, Tracey, Jamieson, M., Burt, D. Michael, Barton, Robert A., Evans, Elizabeth H. and Tovee, Martin J.
Abstract

Internalization of a thin ideal has been posited as a key risk factor in the development of pathological eating attitudes. Cross-culturally, studies have found a preference for heavier bodies in populations with reduced access to visual media compared to Western populations. As yet, however, there has been little attempt to control for confounding variables in order to isolate the effects of media exposure from other cultural and ecological factors. Here, we examined preferences for female body size in relation to television consumption in Nicaraguan men and women, while controlling for the potential confounding effects of other aspects of Westernization and hunger. We included an urban sample, a sample from a village with established television access, and a sample from a nearby village with very limited television access. The highest BMI preferences were found in the village with least media access, while the lowest BMI preferences were found in the urban sample. Data from the rural sample with established television access were intermediate between the two. Amongst rural women in particular, greater television consumption was a stronger predictor of body weight preferences than acculturation, education, hunger, or income. We also found some evidence for television consumption increasing the likelihood of women seeking to lose weight, possibly via body shape preferences. Overall, these results strongly implicate television access in establishing risk factors for body image disturbances in populations newly gaining access to Western media.

JournalBritish Journal of Psychology
Journal citation107 (4), pp. 752-767
ISSN0007-1269
2044-8295
Year2016
PublisherWiley
Accepted author manuscript
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12184
Web address (URL)https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12184
Publication dates
Print22 Feb 2016
Publication process dates
Deposited29 Jun 2017
Accepted26 Oct 2015
FunderLeverhulme trust project
Centre for Coevolution of Behaviour and Culture
Leverhulme trust project
Centre for Coevolution of Behaviour and Culture
Copyright informationThis is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Boothroyd, L. G., Jucker, J.-L., Thornborrow, T., Jamieson, M. A., Burt, D. M., Barton, R. A., Evans, E. H. and Tovee, M. J. (2016), Television exposure predicts body size ideals in rural Nicaragua. Br J Psychol, 107: 752–767, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12184. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
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