Differences in body esteem by weight status, gender, and physical activity among young elementary school-aged children

Body satisfaction is important for the prevention of disordered eating and body image disturbances. Yet, little is known about body esteem and what influences it among younger children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate body esteem and the relationships between body esteem, weight, gender, and physical activity in elementary school children. A total of 214 third graders in a U.S. Midwestern state participated in this correlational study. The Body Mass Index-for-age, the Body Esteem Scale (BES), BE-Weight, BE-Appearance, and a Physical Activity Checklist were used to examine the relationships between the variables using bivariate correlations and analysis of variance. While children's body esteem did not differ by physical activity, important interactions were identified between weight status and gender in global body esteem and BE-Appearance. It is critical to examine attitudes about weight and appearance and the relationship between body esteem and self-esteem further among middle childhood-aged children.

► Factors influencing body esteem in young school-aged children are not well examined.
► Weight status and gender represent important influences on children's body esteem.
► Overweight girls have lower body esteem and BE-Appearance compared to normal weight girls.
► Third grade girls are more sensitive to how their weight affects appearance compared to boys.
► Body esteem appears to be similar between overweight and normal weight 3rd grade boys.