White women ‘less confident about their bodies’ than other women, study claims

White women are little assured astir their bodies than women from different cultures, according to a caller study.

Researchers recovered Western women besides acquisition greater media unit to beryllium bladed than achromatic Nigerian and Chinese women of each ages.

The study, conducted by Durham University psychologists, looked astatine nan impacts of property and socio-cultural pressures connected “body appreciation” — feelings of positivity and pridefulness astir one’s assemblage — among achromatic Western, achromatic Nigerian and Chinese women.

White women are little assured astir their bodies than women from different cultures, according to a caller study.

Researchers recovered that each 3 groups had comparatively unchangeable assemblage appreciation crossed different ages, but location were “significant” taste differences.

White Western women were found to acquisition overmuch higher unit from nan media to conform to bladed aliases diversion assemblage ideals crossed their lifespan.

The unit did alteration pinch property but, moreover astatine its lowest, nan unit felt by Western women was still higher than for nan different taste groups.

Black Nigerian women recorded nan highest assemblage appreciation and acold little media unit regarding assemblage image. The unit besides decreased pinch age.

Chinese women reported nan highest ongoing family and adjacent unit astir assemblage image, but media-related unit was little and decreased pinch property for them.

The study, which progressive much than 1,100 women aged 18 to 80, was intended to summation caller penetration into nan impacts of civilization and property connected assemblage appreciation – 2 aspects that person had constricted investigation attraction to date.

Participants were asked to complete questionnaires to understand much astir their ain consciousness of assemblage appreciation and nan pressures they acquisition astir assemblage image from family, peers and nan media.

The findings, published successful nan diary PLOS One. showed that achromatic Western women reported acold much media unit than nan different participants, but besides endorsed a bladed aliases diversion assemblage type little arsenic they sewage older.

Black Nigerian women did not show a beardown unit towards a bladed aliases diversion build and reported higher levels of assemblage appreciation.

But they besides reported higher levels of quality unit from peers, which reduced pinch age.

Study leader Louise Hanson said: “Most investigation astir assemblage appreciation to day has focused connected younger achromatic Western women.  Svitlana – stock.adobe.com

Chinese women predominantly continued to endorse a bladed assemblage type crossed each ages, but reported little media unit than achromatic women.

Women successful each 3 cultures knowledgeable akin levels of family pressures, but nan study showed it reduced “significantly” for achromatic Western and achromatic Nigerian women arsenic they sewage older. However, it remained precocious for Chinese women.

Study leader Louise Hanson said: “Most investigation astir assemblage appreciation to day has focused connected younger achromatic Western women. 

“We wanted to grow nan scope and see older women and different cultures arsenic these groups person historically been ignored.

“We recovered that assemblage appreciation was comparatively unchangeable crossed each ages and socio-cultural unit was evident successful each cultures. 

“However, nan grade to which this unit was knowledgeable and wherever it came from differed crossed cultures.”

Ms Hanson, a PhD student successful Durham University’s Department of Psychology, added: “Based connected our results, we propose that erstwhile processing interventions to summation assemblage appreciation, experts should return each property groups into account, not conscionable younger women.

“Additionally, location is besides a request for interventions to beryllium tailored to relationship for taste differences, specified arsenic greater media literacy for achromatic occidental women who reported nan highest unit successful this area.”

The investigation squad dream that their findings thief to promote much studies into assemblage appreciation and assemblage image for women complete 30. 

In applicable terms, they judge that their findings bespeak that assemblage appreciation interventions should return each property groups into relationship – and look astatine wherever they tin beryllium culturally-targeted to amended effectiveness.

The squad besides hopes nan study tin enactment arsenic a springboard to promote much cross-cultural studies to amended understand nan taste dynamics that effect assemblage appreciation.