Avaliação antropométrica e imagem corporal entre as adolescentes estudantes de colégios militares
Anthropometric evaluation and body image of students of the high school military
Keywords:
Anthropometry, somatotypes, body image, adolescent.Abstract
Objective: To relate Heath-Carter somatotypes and body fat percentages determined through the Slaughter skinfold equation
to the body image perceptions of adolescent girls enrolled at military high schools. Methods: The sample consisted of 245
volunteers between 15 and 19 years old, studying at military high schools in Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Porto Alegre, Recife and
Rio de Janeiro. The Heath-Carter somatotype was used for the anthropometric measurements, with body image assessed through the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). Results: The data analysis characterized the sample somatotype as mesomorph
endomorph, when endomorphism was dominant and mesomorphism outstripped ectomorphism. It is also stressed that
endomorphism ranked high, with moderate mesomorphism and low ectomorphism; 55.5% of the sample indicated no body
image dissatisfaction, with 44.5% presenting some level of dissatisfaction, ranging from mild to severe. When the somatotype
and BSQ fi ndings were correlated, mean endomorphism was signifi cantly higher (p < 0.05) among girls presenting some type
of body image dissatisfaction than among those who were satisfi ed with their body image. Similar outcomes were found
for body fat percentages. Conclusion: Distorted body image perceptions were found among half the respondents, with
endomorphism and body fat percentages signifi cantly higher among girls presenting some type of body image dissatisfaction.

