Socio_cultural agents and their impact on body image and body change strategies among adolescents in Fiji, Tonga, Tongans in New Zealand and Australia

Summary
This paper reports on the findings of studies that were conducted as part of the
Pacific Obesity Prevention in Communities project. The studies evaluated the types
of messages that adolescents received in relation to body image, physical activity
and eating. The participants were male and female adolescents from Fiji (two
cultural groups), Tonga, New Zealand (Tongans) and Australia (European Austra�lians). Three studies were conducted: interviews with 48 adolescents (24 male, 24
female) from each cultural group, questionnaires with 600 adolescents (300 male,
300 female) from each cultural group and the perceptual distortion study with 100
adolescents (50 male, 50 female) from the two cultural groups in Fiji and European
Australians. The results demonstrate that parents, peers, the media, as well as
religious influences impact on the type of body valued by adolescents in each of the
cultural groups, as well as their levels of body satisfaction. These influences also
shape the type and volume of food consumed, and the type and frequency of
physical activity. The results of these studies highlight the major role played by the
broader societal values in shaping the nature of the messages that adolescents
receive in relation to their body size, eating and physical activity.
Keywords: Adolescents, body image, cultural groups, Pacific.