Perceptions of the body image of mothers and children

Objective: To understand the relationship between the level of distortion and body image dissatisfaction of mothers and children. Material and Method: Cross-sectional, analytical study with 190 children of both sexes and ages between 7 and 12 years and their respective mothers by means of body silhouette scale. Data were collected in a Basic Health Unit in Fortaleza. From the data, correlations were tested between the distortion of the child's image and distortion of the mother's image; distortion of the child's image and distortion of the view that the mother had in relation to the image of the child; and distortion of the child's image and distortion of the child's view in relation to the mother's image. Body dissatisfaction was also tested in these three situations. Results: There was a low positive correlation between the body distortion of the children and the distortion of the image that mothers have of their children; there was a moderate positive correlation between children's dissatisfaction and the mother's dissatisfaction with the child's image. Conclusion: It was evidenced that the distortion and dissatisfaction that the mother has in relation to the child's image are correlated with the distortion and dissatisfaction that the child has about his/her self-image.