Becker- contemporary

Question 1

Becker aim

Answer 1

• The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the recent introduction of Western television on disordered eating among ethnic (indigenous) Fijian adolescent girls

Question 2

becker sample

Answer 2

• A naturalistic cross-sectional design that took place over different ‘waves’ (stages) in which two separate samples of ethnic Fijian adolescent girls. The first wave occurred in 1995, within a few weeks of the introduction of television to Nadroga (63 girls), and the second in 1998, after the area had been exposed to television for 3 years (65 girls)-
  they had similar ages and BMI scores.

Question 3

becker procedure

Answer 3

• Written informed consent was obtained from subjects and a corresponding parent or guardian.
• They completed a 26-item eating attitudes test (EAT-26) included questions concerning bingeing and purging. An EAT-26 score greater than 20 was considered to be high
• In addition, subjects responded to questions concerning household ownership of television and frequency of television viewing. Weight and height were measured also.
• Respondents who reported either bingeing or purging behaviours were asked to respond to a semi-structured interview to confirm the behaviour (e.g. to determine whether vomiting was induced and directed towards weight control).
• In 1998, additional survey questions elicited data on body image, dieting and potential intergenerational disparities
  between subjects and their parents with respect to traditions concerning diet and weight

Question 4

becker results

Answer 4

• There were two significant results. First, the percentage of subjects with EAT-26 scores greater than 20 was 12.7%
  in 1995, compared with 29.2% in 1998.
• Secondly, the percentage of subjects reporting self-induced vomiting to control weight was 0% in 1995 but had
  reached 11.3% by 1998
• Respondents living in households with a television set were more than 3 times as likely to have an EAT-26 score
  greater than 20.

Question 5

becker conclusion

Answer 5

• Dr Becker concludes that the characters on Western TV shows act as role models for Fijian girls. The girls feel pressure to imitate the slim appearances of actors and models, even if this means going against the Fijian culture that traditionally emphasises a fuller and more muscular figure.
• Qualitative data suggested many of the girls did not understand the unreal nature of media images (e.g. that these actors lost weight specially for their roles and had personal trainers).
• Becker believes TV has brought with it an interest in dieting that was not present before on Fiji; it has also brought with it the first symptoms of eating disorders into a society that previously had no incidence of anorexia or bulimia.