Body image attitudes and concerns among indigenous Fijian and European Australian adolescent girls

Abstract
Research on body image has primarily been conducted among Western women who highly value the thin ideal body size. There
has been limited research that has examined body image attitudes among Fijian adolescent girls who are exposed to both traditional
sociocultural pressures that promote a larger body size and Western pressures that promote slimness. Using in-depth semi-structured
interviews, we examined the factors associated with body image attitudes and concerns among a sample of 16 indigenous Fijian and
16 European Australian adolescent girls aged between 13–18 years. An inductive analysis of girls’ responses indicated that both
groups of girls experienced body image concerns including body dissatisfaction, a preference for thinness and concerns associated
with weight gain. These findings have implications for our understanding of the role of culture in shaping body image among girls
and may prove useful in the development of future survey research that can be implemented among both Fijian and Western
adolescents