A lack of knowledge exists regarding the sociocultural factors involved in African American women’s experience of body dissatisfaction. This study examined the body image attitudes of African American women through the constructs of racial socialization from family and racial identity. This study was partially exploratory in nature, as few researchers have examined the relation between racial socialization from family and body dissatisfaction. Specifically, this study examined (1) the relationships between endorsement of various racial socialization messages and body dissatisfaction (2) the relationships between racial identity attitudes and body dissatisfaction (3) the role of racial socialization messages and racial identity attitudes in the prediction of body dissatisfaction (4) racial identity attitudes as mediators of the relationship between racial socialization messages and body dissatisfaction. Participants included 187 African American women. The majority of the population was recruited from a large, southwestern, predominantly White university. With regard to racial socialization, results did not support a significant relationship between Protective messages and body dissatisfaction, Coping messages and body dissatisfaction, and Affirmation messages and body dissatisfaction. However, Stereotyping messages were found to be significant and positively related to body dissatisfaction. Results revealed that among racial identity attitudes Pre-Encounter Self-Hatred was significantly and positively related to body dissatisfaction. Findings did not support significant relationships between Pre-Encounter Assimilation, Pre-Encounter Miseducation, Immersion-Emersion Anti-White, Internalization Afrocentric, Internalization Multicultural Inclusive racial identity attitudes and body dissatisfaction. Additionally, Stereotyping messages and Pre-Encounter Self-Hatred were predictive of body dissatisfaction among this sample of African American women. Finally, Pre-Encounter Self-Hatred racial identity attitudes mediated the relationship between Stereotyping messages and body dissatisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

The discussion of race within body image research has for many years been a topic of empirical focus. However, remaining still is a lack of knowledge regarding the unique sociocultural factors that are involved in African American women's experience of body and the development of body dissatisfaction. Racial identity and family background may impact Black women's body attitudes. The proposed study is an exploratory investigation of body dissatisfaction in a sample of African American women college students. Specifically, the role of racial identity and the endorsement of racial socialization messages received from family will be examined. Findings will serve to increase understanding of the sociocultural underpinnings of body image among Black women. Racial identity and racial socialization will be tested as potential predictors of body dissatisfaction through hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Racial identity status will be examined as a potential mediator of racial socialization and body dissatisfaction.

Thirty-six male and female black college students attending a small private college in New Jersey participated in a mixed method study exploring recollections of received parental racial socialization, covering childhood through entrance into college. Recollections of racial socialization were gathered using a survey administered to all 36 students and face-to-face interviews with a small subset of six students, which generated rich material on experiences with racial socialization. Results from the survey showed an increase or decrease in reported protective, protective, and total (combined) racial socialization messages were not significantly related to an increase or decrease in reported race-related stress. A more complicated picture was derived from the interviews in that the participants did negotiate racial identity; however most endorsed a racial identity orientation within a pointedly mainstream experience, with minor focus on Black culture. Directions for future research on other sources of resilience against race-related stress, such as self-efficacy, and the limitations of the study are also discussed.

Body dissatisfaction (BD) negatively impacts health risk behaviors (drug, alcohol use, and self-harm), mental health outcomes (self-esteem, depression, and suicidal ideation) and psychosocial quality of life in females. Most of the research conducted on BD has primarily studied White females and their drive for thinness; this research is limited and less generalizable because it lacks representation of diverse racial populations in the US. A majority of research conducted on BD has been correlated and predicted by the individual's drive for thinness (thin ideal internalization). However, an increasingly prevalent body image issue is the drive to attain an ultra-fit body, characterized by a very toned and lean body, known as the fit ideal internalization. PURPOSE: To assess how race and ethnic identity impacts a woman's internalization of the fit body ideal and BD. METHODS: Female college students between the ages of 18-25 years were recruited to take an online survey. Demographic and body image questionnaires were used. An independent t-test was used to analyze the impact of race on the internalized fit ideal and BD. A linear regression model was used to assess the impact of ethnic identity on the internalized fit ideal and BD. RESULTS: Participants (N = 340; 21.5±1.9 years; 36% Non-White) had an average BMI of 25.1±5.5 kg/m2. After separating the sample by race (White females versus Non-White females), fit ideal internalization (FIIT) and BD was assessed. FIIT is scored from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating higher FIIT. White females (n=217) scored 3.3 ± 0.7 while Non-White females (n=121) scored 3.1 ± 0.7 (p=.588); thus, there was no significant difference between White and Non-White females on FIIT. Ethnic identity (B=-.023, p=.631) was not shown to significantly influence FIIT; thus, the more a college female identifies with her ethnicity there is no impact of this identity on her internalization of the fit body ideal. BD is scored from 1 to 5 with lower scores indicating higher BD. White females (n=217) scored 3.2 ± 0.7 while Non-White females (n=121) scored 3.3 ± 0.7 (p=.588); thus, there was no significant difference between BD in White versus Non-White females. Ethnic identity (B=.071, p=.127) was not shown to significantly influence body dissatisfaction; thus, the more a college female identifies with her ethnicity there is no impact of this identity on her dissatisfaction with her body. CONCLUSION: FIIT and BD are public health issues that impact women of all races. To address body image issues in women, FIIT must be assessed in clinical settings as it plays a key predictive role on BD. Marketing health and fitness through the attainment of an ultra-fit body type, needs to be re-evaluated as internalization of a fit body ideal has damaging effects on body image of women of all races. To empower a generation of physical health and psychosocial well-being, promoting body positivity is essential.