PHYSICAL APPEARANCE CONCERNS AND BEHAVIORS OF CHILDREN: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH
Abstract
The child develops internal mechanisms for forming references of the body itself, from an early age, becoming a relevant stage of life for researchers. The aim was to investigate attitudes related to body image from the point of view of children. This descriptive qualitative research was conducted in four focus groups. Nineteen children participated (10 girls and 9 boys), aged 6 to 11 years (M=8.36 ±1.42 years old), students of public schools of the city of Juiz de Fora, State of Minas Gerais. The data obtained were treated by categorical content analysis. Three categories emerged from children’s report: concerns about specific aspects of the body; concerns about general aspects of the body and body-related behaviors. It is concluded that the evaluated children presented attitudes that indicate concern with the body in general and specific aspects, besides behaviors related to body image. The development and adoption of therapy and intervention strategies in order to promote a positive body image in children are recommended.Downloads
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