Body image of children and adolescents with chronic illness: A meta-analytic comparison with healthy peers

This meta-analysis integrates results from 330 studies on differences between body image of children and adolescents with and without chronic physical illness. Young people with a chronic illness had a less positive body image than their healthy peers although the average size of differences was small (g = −.30 standard deviation units). A comparison of diseases showed that young people with obesity (g = −.79), cystic fibrosis (g = −.50), scoliosis (g = −.41), asthma (g = −.37), growth hormone deficits (g = −.35), spina bifida (g = −.23), cancer (g = −.20), and diabetes (g = −.17) evaluated their body less positively than their healthy peers. Furthermore, levels of body dissatisfaction varied by age at onset of the disease, method for assessing body image, ethnicity, year of publication, and comparison group. Recommendations are stated for reducing effects of chronic illness on the body image of people with chronic illness.

► Young people with a chronic illness had a less positive body image than their healthy peers. ► However, the average size of differences is small. ► Young people with obesity, scoliosis, and cystic fibrosis are least satisfied with their bodies. ► Illness effects on body image varied by age at onset, measurement of BI, and year of publication.