Body image and body mass index of indigenous women from Hidalgo State, Mexico / Imagen corporal e índice de masa corporal en mujeres indígenas del Estado de Hidalgo, México

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the body mass index (BMI) and the body image of indigenous women from Hidalgo, Mexico. Body dissatisfaction/satisfaction was evaluated in 167 adult women ( M age = 34.45, SD = 6.76) based on BMI and on the partial markup technique of image. The 83% of women assessed had some degree of body dissatisfaction specially related to the desire of thinness (51%) than with the desire of being robust (32%). Normal weight (21%) and low weight (20%) women were those who were more satisfied with their body image; on the contrary, women with obesity (57%) were the less satisfied. However a significant association among BMI and body satisfaction/dissatisfaction was not identified. One of the main contributions of this study was to analyze the correspondence between two little studied variables in indigenous adult women: BMI and body image. These findings strength the need to keep studying this kind of population as well as the development of preventive and promoting health programs aimed to indigenous groups. Resumen El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar la relacion entre el indice de masa corporal (IMC) y la imagen corporal de mujeres indigenas de Hidalgo, Mexico. En 167 mujeres adultas ( M edad = 34.45, DE = 6.76), la satisfaccion/insatisfaccion corporal se estimo segun el IMC y la tecnica parcial del marcado de imagen. El 83% de las mujeres evaluadas presentaron algun grado de insatisfaccion corporal, mayormente relacionado con el deseo de adelgazar (51%) que con el de ser mas robustas (32%). Las mujeres mas satisfechas con su imagen corporal fueron las normopeso (21%) o con bajo peso (20%); por el contrario, las menos satisfechas fueron aquellas con obesidad (57%). Sin embargo no se identifico una asociacion significativa entre el IMC y la satisfaccion/insatisfaccion corporal. Una de las principales aportaciones de este estudio es haber analizado la correspondencia entre dos variables poco estudiadas en mujeres adultas indigenas: el IMC y la imagen corporal, cuyos resultados fundamentan la necesidad de seguir investigando este tipo de poblacion, asi como el desarrollo de programas de prevencion y de promocion de la salud especificos a grupos indigenas.