Parent, Peer and Media Effect on the Perception of Body Image in Preadolescent Girls and Boys

The goal of this study was to begin to determine how parent, peer and media influences on the perception of body image of preadolescent girls and boys in Rize. The research was carried total 70 students of Mehmet AkifErsoy middle school . Surveys were collected and analyzed in the statistics department using SPSS 14.0 for Windows. Results indicated peers had the largest negative influence (X 1.60/3.0) and media had the largest positive influence (X 2.12/3.0) for scale-response. Results also revealed the higher the positive influence, the higher positive self-image. As one increases positively the other will increase positively. The correlation between parents, peers, and media and body image was found to be significant, P < .000 < α = .05. A correlation coefficient of .606/1.0 revealed a moderate to strong correlation. Results also indicated the preadolescent surveyed had a lower reported body image score than the influence from parents, peers, and media together. Results should be used by health educators to develop educational classes, programs that focus on the impact from parent, peer, and media influences on the perception of body image. The present study provides more insight and new trends in data, to the understanding of the onset of body image development in preadolescent.