MS

thesisThe development of eating disorders is influenced by a number of interrelated factors. Its evolution is impacted to varying degrees by biological, psychological and social/cultural elements. A need to explore this area has been suggested by the alarming prevalence of eating disorders in this country and the lack of information regarding the age at which these problems begin to develop. While the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors associated with eating disorders in the preadolescent populations have been studied, very little has been done in the younger, school-age populations. Efforts directed toward the resolution of this problem need to be addressed at an early age when perceptions of body image are developing. The purpose of this study was to see how accurately 5-6 year old girls perceive themselves in terms of body size and to look at their preference for body size and shape. An inquiry into the lifestyle habits of the subject's parents was carried out in an attempt to demonstrate the impact that the family has on the child's developing perception of bodily self. Knowledge of the attitudes, perceptions and risk factors associated with eating disorders-is necessary if healthy attitudes and eating habits are to be promoted and normal growth and development of the child enhanced. A descriptive, correlational study design was used to explore the relationships of 5 and 6 year old girls' perceived and preferred body size and the diet and exercise habits of their parents. The accuracy of twenty 5 and 6 year old girls' perceptions of body size when compared to measured height and weight were assessed and their preference for a specific body size and shape were documented. Family lifestyle factors were examined in an attempt to show a relationship between diet and exercise habits of parents and their daughters' perception and preference of body size. Kendall's rank order correlations were used to determine the direction and magnitude of the relationships between the variables: income, parents' exercise habits, height and weight, and perception and preference of body size. A Mann Whitney U test was applied to test the significance of the relationship between the parents' diet history and their childs' perception and preference of body size. A significance level (p) of 0.05 was set. The results of correlating the children's perceived body image, perceived swimsuit image, and preferred body image with the amount of exercise the parents engaged in and their participation in weight reduction diets did not prove to be significantly correlated. Five and 6 year old girl's accuracy of perception of body size, when compared to actual body size, did increase significantly with age. Thirty percent of the 5 year olds, compared with 82% of the 6 year olds were accurate in estimating their body size. The majority (75%) of girls demonstrated a preference for the thin body silhouette