Children's perceptions of peer influence on eating concerns

This study explored how children's perceptions of peer influence were associated with their eating and body image concerns and how children's eating concerns and perceptions of peer influence differed by grade and gender. Children's perceptions of peer messages (e.g., being teased about one's weight), peer interactions (e.g., talking about food or dieting), and peer likability (i.e., the belief that being thin will increase how much peers like them) were measured with the Inventory of Peer Influence on Eating Concerns. This inventory, along with the Body Image and Eating Questionnaire, and 3 scales of the Eating Disorder Inventory for Children, were administered to third- and fifth-grade children (n = 264). Results indicated that likability was the major contributor in predicting eating and body concerns; messages and likability related significantly with the eating and body image concern measures; and girls reported more eating-related concerns than boys. Results are discussed in terms of the potential role that peers play in children's eating-related concerns.