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CORRELATES OF SELF BODY ESTEEM AMONGLOW INCOME FEMALE ADOLESCENTSIlyse Kornblau, Carmen Radecki Breitkopf, Ph.D. Dept. ofObstetrics & Gynecology, Univ. of Texas Med. Branch, Galveston,Texas.

Purpose: To examine demographic, behavioral, and phys-ical correlates of body esteem among female adolescents oflower socioeconomic background.Methods:

Study Design: Cross-sectional examination of baselinedata from an ongoing prospective study on bone density.

Setting: Outpatient reproductive health clinic in south-east Texas.

Participants: Two hundred and forty female adolescents16-21 years of age, of which 30% were black, 35% white,and 35% Hispanic. About half were currently enrolled inschool (57%) and reported an annual household income�$20,000 (45%). The mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.6(SD�6.0), with only 48% of the sample within the normalrange (BMI 18.5-24.9).

Measures: Participants completed the Body Esteem Scale(BES), reported tobacco and alcohol use, and indicatedwhether or not they had acne. Anthropomorphic data (tocompute BMI) were obtained using standard clinic instru-mentation and measurement techniques.Results: Overall body esteem and each subscale (sexualattractiveness, weight esteem, and physical stamina) wasassociated with race/ethnicity (all F�3.86, all P�.02).Blacks demonstrated higher mean scores (more favorablebody esteem) on all scales relative to whites. Adolescentsreporting household incomes �$20,000 per year (versusgreater) demonstrated higher overall body esteem (t�2.48,P�.01), sexual attractiveness (t�2.69, P�.01) and physicalstamina (t�2.82, P�.01). With regard to behavioral corre-lates, current smokers reported lower physical staminarelative to non-smokers (t�2.53, P�.01). Adolescents whoreported no alcohol use in the past 12 months demon-strated higher weight esteem than those who reportedusing alcohol (t�2.20, P�.05); adolescents reporting use ofhard liquor at least 2 times per month (relative to less or nouse) were found to have lower overall body esteem, weightesteem, and physical stamina (all P�.05). With regard tophysical factors, BMI was associated with lower weightesteem (r��.33, P�.001) and lower overall body esteem(r��.17, P�.01). Adolescents reporting acne (versus not)demonstrated lower overall body esteem, sexual attractive-ness, and weight esteem (all P�.03).Conclusions: These data demonstrate that body esteemamong adolescent females is affected by a large numberof factors including demographic, physical, and socialvariables. Feelings of sexual attractiveness were highestamong those who were black, poor, and did not haveacne. Adolescents who were black, poor, and did notsmoke or drink reported more physical stamina whilethose who were black and had a normal BMI had more

positive feelings about their weight. Providers shouldrealize that non-physical factors, such as race/ethnicityand income, may determine how an adolescent feelsabout her body as much as her actual appearance.Furthermore, they may counsel adolescents that use oftobacco or alcohol may decrease her physical stamina.Support: The first author was supported through the Univ.of Texas Med. Branch High School Summer ResearchProgram. The research was funded by the NIH (HD043659;HD39883).

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“I READ ABOUT IT IN COSMOGIRL!”: A CONTENTANALYSIS OF COMPLEMENTARY ANDALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN TEEN AND YOUNGWOMEN’S MAGAZINESTracy S. Sesselberg, MA, Nicola J. Gray, PhD, Jonathan D.Klein, MD, MPH. University of Rochester Division of AdolescentMedicine, Rochester, NY; Centre for Pharmacy, Health & Society,University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England, UK.

Purpose: To describe the information about complemen-tary and alternative medicine (CAM) in popular maga-zines read by adolescent girls.Methods: We conducted a content analysis of editorialcontent and advertising from 3 categories of magazines: 5teen targeted (Seventeen, CosmoGirl!, Teen People, J-14,YM), 5 black and Latina culturally targeted (Ebony, Es-sence, Jet, Latina, People en Espanol), and 3 young wom-en’s (Glamour, Vogue, Cosmopolitan). Six issues of eachtitle published in 2003 were examined (78 issues in total).We used Kemper’s typology (lifestyle, biochemical, bioen-ergetic, biomechanical) to categorize CAM therapies. Fre-quencies and means were generated to determine howmuch and what type of CAM information appeared.Chi-square analyses were used to determine whether theamount, type, and indication of CAM content differed bytarget audience.Results: Mean magazine CAM content ranged from 8.4occurrences per issue in young women’s magazines to2.2 in culturally targeted magazines and 1.9 in teenmagazines. Overall, 29% of all CAM content was adver-tising for weight loss supplements; these did not appearin any of the teen magazines. Excluding weight losssupplements, young women’s magazines had signifi-cantly more CAM content per issue (mean 4.6 occur-rences per issue) than teen and culturally targetedmagazines (mean 1.7). Most therapies were identified astreatment for mental health concerns (30%). Lifestyletherapies such as yoga, meditation, and aromatherapycomprised 48% of the CAM content. More lifestyletherapies appeared in teen magazines (71% of all teenmagazine CAM content) than other magazines, and farfewer biochemical therapies appeared in teen magazines(5.4%) than other magazines. Home remedies appearedmore often in culturally targeted magazines (31% ofCAM CT content vs. 15% of CAM content in others).

162 Abstracts / 38 (2006) 137–163