| Summary: | Clarifying the trajectories of body image and eating concerns in adolescents is critical. We examined longitudinal patterns of development of body dissatisfaction and dietary restriction among early adolescent girls within a sociocultural framework. A sample of 259 school girls ( M = 12.76 years, SD = 0.44) reported on sociocultural influences, body dissatisfaction and dietary restriction at baseline, 8, and 14 months. A subsample provided height and weight. Analyses identified four trajectories of body dissatisfaction: low, moderate-increasing, moderate-decreasing, and high. Three trajectories of dietary restriction emerged: low, moderate, and high. Baseline and 8-month sociocultural variables and BMI differed between the trajectories. A subgroup of girls displays high levels of body image and eating concerns by early adolescence. Sociocultural variables influence these trajectories.
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