Interações entre autoimagem corporal, exposição às mídias sociais e uso de telas, internalização, pressão social e influência parental em crianças pré-púberes

Abstract

Body image refers to individuals perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about their own body appearance and may be influenced by factors such as media, self-esteem, and the sociocultural environment. To examine whether there is an association between social media use, screen time frequency, internalization and social pressure related to appearance, and parental influence through food-related messages on body image perception among prepubertal children. This was a cross-sectional, correlational, non-probabilistic study. Sociodemographic data, exposure to social media and screen use, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance (SATAQ-4R), caregivers’ food-related messages (CEMS), and body image (dis)satisfaction assessed by the Silhouette Scale for Children and Adolescents were collected. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 24.0. A total of 101 children aged 9 to 12 years participated in the study. All participants had internet access at home. Approximately 73% reported body image dissatisfaction. Social media use was associated (p = 0.005) with high levels of internalization and social pressure related to appearance, and caregivers’ food-related messages were associated with the presence of body dissatisfaction (r = 0.342; p < 0.001). The findings highlight the importance of understanding the occurrence of body image dissatisfaction in prepubertal children, as well as the need for actions aimed at promoting a healthier body image within this population.