The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between body dissatisfaction and anthropometric indicators in adolescents from a town with a medium/low human development index. A total of 402 adolescents (14-17 years) from the town of Januária, Minas Gerais, participated in the study. The following variables were collected: body weight, height, skinfolds (triceps, subscapular), and body image. BMI and the sum of the two skinfolds (2SF) were used as anthropometric indicators. The prevalence of body image dissatisfaction was 56.7%. An association between body dissatisfaction and 2SF was only observed in boys, with a 26% and 42% higher probability of body dissatisfaction in those presenting low and elevated adiposity, respectively. In conclusion, the body dissatisfaction was high among the adolescents studied. In addition, 2SF was associated with body dissatisfaction in adolescent boys.
Adolescents; anthropometry; body image; body dissatisfaction
