Maria Fernanda Laus

Early Postnatal Protein-Calorie Malnutrition and Cognition: A Review of Human and Animal Studies

Malnutrition continues to be recognized as the most common and serious form of children’s dietary disease in the developing countries and is one of the principal factors affecting brain development. The purpose of this paper is to review human and animal studies relating malnutrition to cognitive development, focusing in correlational and interventional data, and to provide a discussion of possible mechanisms by which malnutrition affects cognition.

Diferenças na percepção da imagem corporal, no comportamento alimentar e no estado nutricional de universitárias das áreas de saúde e humanas

INTRODUCAO: A literatura refere uma maior prevalencia de transtornos alimentares em academicas de cursos universitarios nos quais a aparencia fisica e importante, entre eles Educacao Fisica e Nutricao. Supoe-se que pessoas preocupadas com seu peso e imagem corporal optem por essas areas por terem um interesse pessoal pelo tema. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a percepcao da imagem corporal, o comportamento alimentar e o estado nutricional de estudantes de cursos das areas da saude e humanas para comparacao entre estas. METODO: Aplicou-se o Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) e o Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) em 127 alunas do primeiro ano dos cursos de Nutricao e Educacao Fisica (Saude) e de Publicidade e Propaganda e Administracao de Empresas (Humanas) que forneceram dados de peso e altura para calculo do indice de massa corporal. RESULTADOS: Encontrou-se uma grande prevalencia de distorcao da imagem em todos os grupos, sem diferenca entre as areas ou entre os cursos. O EAT-26 indicou maiores escores nas estudantes da saude em relacao as de humanas, com alunas de Nutricao apresentando as maiores pontuacoes, estatisticamente diferentes das encontradas nos cursos de Publicidade e Administracao, mas nao de Educacao Fisica. Alem disso, a maioria das alunas foi classificada como eutrofica, e nao se encontraram mulheres com obesidade em nenhum dos cursos, nao havendo diferenca significativa entre areas ou cursos para esta variavel. DISCUSSAO: A alta incidencia de distorcao da imagem corporal associada a grande prevalencia de comportamento alimentar inadequado nas alunas da area da saude demonstra uma possivel susceptibilidade ao desenvolvimento de transtornos alimentares.

Body image dissatisfaction and its relationship with physical activity and body mass index in Brazilian adolescents

Objective: To evaluate body image dissatisfaction and its relationship with physical activity and body mass index in a Brazilian sample of adolescents. Methods: A total of 275 adolescents (139 boys and 136 girls) between the ages of 14 and 18 years completed measures of body image dissatisfaction through the Contour Drawing Scale and current physical activity by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Weight and height were also measured for subsequent calculation of body mass index. Results: Boys and girls differed significantly regarding body image dissatisfaction, with girls reporting higher levels of dissatisfaction. Underweight and eutrophic boys preferred to be heavier, while those overweight preferred be thinner and, in contrast, girls desired to be thinner even when they are of normal weight. Conclusion: Body image dissatisfaction was strictly related to body mass index, but not to physical activity.

Body image in Brazil: recent advances in the state of knowledge and methodological issues

OBJECTIVE To analyze Brazilian literature on body image and the theoretical and methodological advances that have been made. METHODS A detailed review was undertaken of the Brazilian literature on body image, selecting published articles, dissertations and theses from the SciELO, SCOPUS, LILACS and PubMed databases and the CAPES thesis database. Google Scholar was also used. There was no start date for the search, which used the following search terms: “body image” AND “Brazil” AND “scale(s)”; “body image” AND “Brazil” AND “questionnaire(s)”; “body image” AND “Brazil” AND “instrument(s)”; “body image” limited to Brazil and “body image”. RESULTS The majority of measures available were intended to be used in college students, with half of them evaluating satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the body. Females and adolescents of both sexes were the most studied population. There has been a significant increase in the number of available instruments. Nevertheless, numerous published studies have used non-validated instruments, with much confusion in the use of the appropriate terms (e.g., perception, dissatisfaction, distortion). CONCLUSIONS Much more is needed to understand body image within the Brazilian population, especially in terms of evaluating different age groups and diversifying the components/dimensions assessed. However, interest in this theme is increasing, and important steps have been taken in a short space of time.

Geographic location, sex and nutritional status play an important role in body image concerns among Brazilian adolescents

This study compared body image concerns among adolescents from different geographic locations in Brazil, and the influence of sex and nutritional status. Seven hundred eighty-eight adolescents completed the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and had their weight and height measured. There were significant cross-regional differences in BSQ scores. Also, body image concerns were more prevalent among girls and among overweight adolescents. It is suggested that sex and nutritional status may play an important role in body image concerns, which is more common between adolescents from urban areas. Furthermore, our findings contribute to the literature by examining patterns of body image concerns within subgroups of adolescents who have received little research attention on these issues.

Estudo de validação e fidedignidade de escalas de silhuetas brasileiras em adolescentes

This study aimed to obtain evidence of the construct validity and the reliability of the Figure Rating Scales developed by Kakeshita (2008) applied to Brazilian adolescents. After conducting the test-retest in 112 participants with an interval of one month, the results showed that the scales were able to discriminate the different groups of nutritional status in both sexes; showed significant correlation between current BMI, desired BMI and dissatisfaction; and coefficients of elevated intraclass correlation, indicating that the instrument is suitable for assessing body image in this age group.

Grau de comprometimento psicológico ao exercício e comparação da insatisfação corporal de atletas participantes do panamericano escolar

INTRODUCTION: Performance sports seem to be a booster for the onset of psychopathological disorders and therefore it becomes relevant to assess the level of psychological commitment to exercise and aspects of body image in adolescent elite athletes, since these variables are risk factors for triggering of eating disorders. OBJECTIVE: To compare body dissatisfaction among different sports and check its influence on the level of psychological commitment to exercise performance in competitive adolescent athletes. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 65 teenage athletes from many sports of both sexes. To assess body dissatisfaction, the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was applied and the level of psychological commitment to the habit of exercising was assessed by the Scale of Dedication Exercise (EDE). RESULTS: The dissatisfaction with self-image was seen in 21.5% of participants with difference between modalities (p 0.05). Moreover, dissatisfaction influenced 12% in modulating the level of psychological commitment to exercise (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: Therefore, it can be concluded that for this sample, the rate of body satisfaction was high and little related to the level of commitment to exercise.

Gender differences in body image and preferences for an ideal silhouette among Brazilian undergraduates

The aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in the accuracy of body size estimation and body dissatisfaction among Brazilian undergraduates and their relationships with perceptions of the ideal body silhouettes that would be selected by same-gender and opposite-gender peers. A total of 159 undergraduates (79 males) from a public University in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil, participated in the study. They completed a Figure Rating Scale and indicated the figure that best describes the size of their own body (actual), their desired body, the body they judged would be ideal to same-gender peers, and the body they judged would be ideal to opposite-gender peers. The results showed that women were less precise in estimating their actual size and more dissatisfied. The mean Body Mass Index (BMI) that was selected as “current” by women was significantly higher than their desired and ideal BMIs, whereas the mean BMIs that were selected by men were practically the same. Men and women selected ideal silhouettes for their own gender that were the same as those that were selected as ideal by the opposite gender. The mean BMIs that were actually chosen by men and women as desired and ideal were closer to the upper end of normal weight and lower end of overweight, respectively. Such results contradict what has been assumed to be a normative characteristic of men and women in several countries, raising some doubts regarding the role of beliefs about judgments of the opposite gender in the development of body image disturbances.

Body image dissatisfaction and aesthetic exercise in adolescents: are they related?

This study investigated if boys and girls who practice exercises with aesthetic propose report higher levels of body dissatisfaction compared to their inactive peers. A total of 199 adolescents (89 boys), mean age 16.1 years, completed measures of body dissatisfaction and psychological commitment to exercise. Results demonstrated that active boys presented lower dissatisfaction than their inactive peers; and active girls were significantly more dissatisfied than inactive ones. Active boys were more satisfied than active girls. The majority of active girls reported a desire for a slimmer silhouette; while active boys were equally divided between those who desired a heavier silhouette and those who were satisfied. Psychological commitment to exercise did not differ between satisfied and dissatisfied active adolescents. Thus, girls who practice aesthetic exercises must be looked at as a high risk population to the development of health harmful behaviors and eating disorders.Este estudo investigou se adolescentes que praticam exercicios com finalidades esteticas reportam maiores indices de insatisfacao comparados a adolescentes inativos. Um total de 199 adolescentes (89 meninos), idade media de 16,1 anos, completaram medidas de insatisfacao corporal e comprometimento psicologico com o exercicio. Os resultados demonstraram que meninos ativos apresentaram menor insatisfacao que meninos inativos e meninas ativas foram mais insatisfeitas que as inativas. Meninos ativos foram mais satisfeitos que as meninas ativas. A maioria das meninas ativas deseja uma silhueta menor, enquanto meninos ativos foram igualmente divididos entre aqueles que desejaram pesar mais e os que estavam satisfeitos. O grau de comprometimento psicologico com o exercicio nao foi diferente entre os adolescentes ativos satisfeitos e insatisfeitos. Portanto, adolescentes, especialmente as meninas, que praticam exercicios com finalidades esteticas sao extremamente insatisfeitos e devem ser considerados uma populacao de risco para o desenvolvimento de comportamentos prejudiciais a saude e transtornos alimentares.

Imagem corporal de adolescentes de cidades rurais

O objetivo deste artigo e avaliar a imagem corporal de adolescentes de cidades rurais e suas relacoes com o estado nutricional, sexo e periodo da adolescencia. Estudo transversal com adolescentes de ambos os sexos. A imagem corporal foi avaliada pelo Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) e pela Escala de Silhuetas para Adolescentes (ESA). O peso e a estatura foram aferidos para o calculo do indice de massa corporal. O periodo da adolescencia foi classificado de acordo com a idade. Foram realizadas analises estatisticas descritivas e inferenciais. A amostra foi composta por 445 adolescentes (190 meninos e 255 meninas) com idade media de 16,44 anos. Maior risco de insatisfacao corporal foi encontrado entre os participantes com sobrepeso e obesidade (BSQ: OR = 3,359 p < 0,001; ESA: OR = 1,572 p = 0,387) e sexo feminino (BSQ: OR = 3,694 p < 0,001; ESA: OR = 0,922, p = 0,840). Os participantes nos periodos intermediario e final da adolescencia apresentaram menores riscos de insatisfacao quando comparados aqueles no periodo inicial. A insatisfacao corporal relacionou-se com sobrepeso, com sexo feminino e com periodo inicial da adolescencia. Pesquisas de intervencao sao necessarias para controlar os fatores que influenciam a insatisfacao corporal excessiva dos adolescentes.