Body Image and the Asian Experience – Chapter 5: Asian female body image research in the United States and Canada, Part I

This chapter reviews Asian female body image research in the United States and Canada from a pan-ethnic perspective. A significant line of this research has focused on group comparisons. A number of studies found Asian/Asian American females generally report more dissatisfaction with their bodies or certain body parts than females of other racial/ethnic backgrounds, but the empirical literature is not unequivocal. The commonly theorized predictors of body image explain Asian/Asian American female body image and other racial groups in a comparable way, but racial/ethnic and cultural factors complement and enrich existing theoretical models in a significant way in explaining the development of body image concerns among Asian/Asian American women. Qualitative studies also reveal complex intersections of societal, sociocultural, interpersonal, and individual/cognitive-behavioral factors and processes that shape body image development among Asian/Asian American women and highlight the importance of attending to women's bicultural contexts. Future directions for research and practice are discussed.