Body perception and satisfaction of the mother-child binomium

• Grant number: 20/02021-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Carla Maria Ramos Germano
• Grantee: Thalia Silva Saraiva
• Home Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Body perception is one of the dimensions of body image that is formed in childhood and follows the individual through life. Factors such as family, media and social environment can change child's perception of his body in a positive or negative way. Overweight children often have a negative self-perception and the resulting body dissatisfaction is a risk factor for low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders and lower quality of life. The mother, as the main child's social model, has a fundamental role in the construction of the kindred body perception and satisfaction. Therefore, and in the light of the paucity of preschoolers research, this study aims to understand how much the parents idea of the child influences their self-image and body perception, and what is the prevalence and how early are body image disorders in the child population . This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative research that will be developed in the Family Health Units of the city of São Carlos, on convenience sample, with preschool children aged e5 and <8 years of age and their respective guardians. Three questionnaires will be applied as instruments for data collection: Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Child Scale of Body Image by Truby and Paxton and Silhouette Scale by Stunkard. The children will have weight, height and waist circumference measured. The level of obesity and/or overweight will be assessed by the Body Mass Index and the values will be compared with those recommended by WHO for age and sex. The results will be presented as mean±standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum, for quantitative variables, and as frequency and percentage for qualitative variables. Statistical significance of the differences will be determined by analysis of variance (Anova) or the t test, depending on the number of variables. Pearson's correlation will be used to assess the degree of correlation between variables and the comparison between descriptive variables, which will be done using the square test (or Fisher's test). The multiple correlation analysis will be performed using the Linear Regression method. Odds ratio analysis will be performed by the logistic regression test. The questionnaire internal consistency of values will be assessed by Cronbach's alpha test (±). Significance level of 5%. (AU)