Table 4.
Body size dissatisfaction (perceived minus ideal size) by sex, age and weight status among young Hong Kong Chinese children aged 6·1–12·9 years
| Want to be thinner | Satisfied with current weight | Want to be larger | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | n | % | P | |
| Boys | |||||||
| <8 years | 30 | 30·6 | 33 | 34·0 | 35 | 35·7 | |
| 8–10 years | 63 | 53·8 | 25 | 21·0 | 29 | 24·8 | |
| >10 years | 54 | 48·0 | 34 | 30·4 | 24 | 21·4 | <0·01 |
| Girls | |||||||
| <8 years | 31 | 38·3 | 17 | 21·0 | 33 | 40·7 | |
| 8–10 years | 55 | 59·8 | 18 | 19·6 | 19 | 20·7 | |
| >10 years | 64 | 53·3 | 31 | 25·8 | 25 | 20·8 | <0·01 |
| Boys | |||||||
| Underweight | 2 | 9·1 | 6 | 27·3 | 14 | 63·6 | |
| Normal weight | 69 | 32·5 | 73 | 34·4 | 70 | 33·0 | |
| Overweight | 53 | 79·1 | 11 | 16·4 | 3 | 4·5 | |
| Obese | 23 | 88·5 | 2 | 7·7 | 1 | 3·8 | <0·001 |
| Girls | |||||||
| Underweight | 4 | 11·4 | 10 | 28·6 | 21 | 60·0 | |
| Normal weight | 102 | 49·3 | 52 | 25·1 | 53 | 25·6 | |
| Overweight | 34 | 82·9 | 4 | 9·8 | 3 | 7·3 | |
| Obese | 10 | 100·0 | 0 | 0·0 | 0 | 0·0 | <0·001 |