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Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access originally published online on September 28, 2007
Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2008 33(5):487-496; doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsm082
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Body Size Stigmatization: An Examination of Attitudes of African American Preschool-Age Children Attending Head Start*

Allison S. Margulies, PhD1–3, Randy G. Floyd, PhD1 and Robin L. Hojnoski, PhD1,4

1The University of Memphis, 2John Hopkins University School of Medicine, 3Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, and 4Department of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University

All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Allison S. Margulies, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Department of Neuropsychology, 1750 E. Fairmount Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. E-mail: amarguls{at}gmail.com.


  Abstract

Objective To assess body size stigmatization attitudes (BSSA), their effect on friendship selection, and controllability beliefs in a sample of African American preschool-age children of low socioeconomic status. Methods Participants included 76 children attending Head Start. Children completed an adjective task, a friendship selection task, and a controllability task. Results On the adjective task, the Overweight figure received significantly more negative mean ratings than the Underweight figure; however, there were no significant differences between the mean ratings for the Overweight and Average figures or the Average and Underweight figures. On the friendship selection task, children preferred the Average or Underweight figures as playmates and friends. On the controllability task, greater control was associated with the Overweight figure than the Underweight figure. Conclusion Results suggest that BSSA may be present in a sample of African American preschool-age children of low socioeconomic status. These attitudes may influence friendship selection and controllability beliefs.

Key words: African American; body size stigmatization; Head Start; overweight; psychosocial; preschool..

*This article is based on data from the first author's dissertation entitled "Body Size Stigmatization: An Examination of Attitudes of a Sample of Preschool-age Children Attending Head Start." Portions of this research were presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association (2006).

Received July 17, 2006; revision received August 7, 2007; accepted August 14, 2007


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