Television exposure predicts body size ideals in rural Nicaragua

British Journal of Psychology
Lynda G BoothroydMartin J Tovee

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...Continue Reading

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Citations

Feb 10, 2016·British Journal of Health Psychology·Katri K CornelissenMartin J Tovée
Dec 31, 2019·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Katherine DaiyClaudia R Valeggia
Apr 21, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Tracey ThornborrowMartin J Tovée
Apr 29, 2018·Scientific Reports·Sonja WindhagerKatrin Schaefer
Jul 6, 2019·Frontiers in Psychology·Kok Wei Tan, Ian D Stephen
May 22, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Menelaos ApostolouGianluca Esposito
Nov 22, 2019·Frontiers in Psychology·Markus J RantalaIndrikis Krams

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