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Ideal body image for the opposite sex and its association with body mass index

Ibáñez-Zamacona, María Eugenia ; Poveda, Alaitz LU orcid and Rebato, Esther (2023) In Journal of Biosocial Science 55(1). p.190-198
Abstract

This research studied the preferences reported by women and men about their Ideal Body Image for the Opposite Sex (IBIOS), and its association with body mass index (BMI). It also analysed the preferences of each sex for a woman's ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man's ideal body image (M-IBI). A total of 450 participants aged 18-70 years with different weights were studied. Their IBIOS was assessed using standard figural stimuli. The sample was divided in four groups by sex and age (<45 years; ≥45 years). Sex and age differences in IBIOS, as well as sex differences in the preferences for a woman's ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man's ideal body image (M-IBI), were tested using a non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. The association... (More)

This research studied the preferences reported by women and men about their Ideal Body Image for the Opposite Sex (IBIOS), and its association with body mass index (BMI). It also analysed the preferences of each sex for a woman's ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man's ideal body image (M-IBI). A total of 450 participants aged 18-70 years with different weights were studied. Their IBIOS was assessed using standard figural stimuli. The sample was divided in four groups by sex and age (<45 years; ≥45 years). Sex and age differences in IBIOS, as well as sex differences in the preferences for a woman's ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man's ideal body image (M-IBI), were tested using a non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. The association between IBIOS and BMI was analysed using Spearman's correlation. In all groups, the most chosen silhouette as IBIOS was number 4. In the under-45 years group, women chose bigger silhouettes for the opposite sex than men did (p<0.05). In this age group women chose as ideal smaller silhouettes for the female body than men did (p<0.01). In addition, women and men in the younger age group and with normal weight chose smaller silhouettes, while those who were overweight or obese selected larger silhouettes (p<0.001). Age was found to be a relevant factor in IBIOS preferences, and in the association between IBIOS and nutritional status as measured by BMI, which was only observed to be significant in the younger age group.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Body image, Nutritional status, Sex
in
Journal of Biosocial Science
volume
55
issue
1
pages
190 - 198
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:34886917
  • scopus:85124820367
ISSN
0021-9320
DOI
10.1017/S0021932021000705
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2c36c59d-d5ba-4829-9934-6bf1500fff17
date added to LUP
2022-04-12 08:42:02
date last changed
2024-09-09 06:49:37
@article{2c36c59d-d5ba-4829-9934-6bf1500fff17,
  abstract     = {{<p>This research studied the preferences reported by women and men about their Ideal Body Image for the Opposite Sex (IBIOS), and its association with body mass index (BMI). It also analysed the preferences of each sex for a woman's ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man's ideal body image (M-IBI). A total of 450 participants aged 18-70 years with different weights were studied. Their IBIOS was assessed using standard figural stimuli. The sample was divided in four groups by sex and age (&lt;45 years; ≥45 years). Sex and age differences in IBIOS, as well as sex differences in the preferences for a woman's ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man's ideal body image (M-IBI), were tested using a non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. The association between IBIOS and BMI was analysed using Spearman's correlation. In all groups, the most chosen silhouette as IBIOS was number 4. In the under-45 years group, women chose bigger silhouettes for the opposite sex than men did (p&lt;0.05). In this age group women chose as ideal smaller silhouettes for the female body than men did (p&lt;0.01). In addition, women and men in the younger age group and with normal weight chose smaller silhouettes, while those who were overweight or obese selected larger silhouettes (p&lt;0.001). Age was found to be a relevant factor in IBIOS preferences, and in the association between IBIOS and nutritional status as measured by BMI, which was only observed to be significant in the younger age group. </p>}},
  author       = {{Ibáñez-Zamacona, María Eugenia and Poveda, Alaitz and Rebato, Esther}},
  issn         = {{0021-9320}},
  keywords     = {{Body image; Nutritional status; Sex}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{190--198}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Biosocial Science}},
  title        = {{Ideal body image for the opposite sex and its association with body mass index}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0021932021000705}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0021932021000705}},
  volume       = {{55}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}