Study Status
Ongoing
Project Team
Principal Investigator: Jazmyne Peters, PhD
Research Team Members: Kidde Kokole; Amida Nigena, MA; Alison Ofori
Alignment with Crown Institute Vision
This study contributes to the wellness of young people through testing the impact of the mind.body.voice. Girls Like Us (m.b.v. GLU) program, adapted with a focus on Black girls and femmes, and to understand how a particular factor – colorism – impacts Black girls and femmes in the context of appearance bias.
Background & Context
Dissatisfaction with body image is highly prevalent among girls and women, with over 50% of teenage girls across all ethnic/racial groups in the U.S. engaging in unhealthy weight control behaviors, such as skipping meals, vomiting, and taking laxatives (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005). Negative body image is significantly correlated with disordered eating (King et al., 2012; Stice, 2007) and is a risk factor for depressed mood and low self-esteem among girls (Paxton et al., 2006). Moreover, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005). The lived experiences of girls of color are frequently overlooked in mental health research and wellness practices, resulting in a lack of understanding of the unique experiences of Black girls and women as it pertains to eating concerns and body image. More recent studies have found evidence indicating factors such as belonging to a marginalized group, experiences of discrimination, and conflicts between their cultural norms vs. the cultural expectations of dominant groups significantly contribute to Black girls’ and women’s susceptibility to disordered eating behaviors and body satisfaction (Awad, G. H., et. al., 2015; Gordon et al., 2010).
Recognizing that Black girls and femmes experience these cultural conflicts and discrimination from a young age is crucial for early intervention and support. Black girls are often forced to assimilate in response to microaggressions, colorism, racism, and discrimination, which continue into their adult lives (Mbilishaka & Apugo, 2020).
Recent literature has identified protective factors against eating concerns and body dissatisfaction for Black girls and women. Notably, a strong association with one’s ethnic group has been shown to correlate with decreased internalization of the thin ideal, beliefs or concerns related to eating, shape, or weight, and correlates with an increased likelihood of body satisfaction (Cotter, et.al., 2013; Hesse-Biber et al., 2010; Rogers Wood & Petrie, 2010; Schooler et al., 2004). Alternatively, Black girls and women who reject Black cultural values and instead internalize Eurocentric beauty standards report increased body image and eating concerns (Awad, G.H., et. al., 2015).
One crucial consideration when working with traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities in the U.S. is the need to culturally adapt or modify intervention protocols to serve their needs. We are seeking to extend the mbv curriculum to an underserved community in the U.S.: young Black girls and femmes. A primary goal of the current research is to learn with the same community we seek to serve what cultural adaptations are necessary. Thus, in the present studies, we will examine the impacts on perception of appearance biases (i.e., colorism), self-esteem, and other variables associated with participating in the m.b.v. GLU Program sessions.
Primary Aims
The overarching aim of the present project is to study the impacts of the mind.body.voice. Girls Like Us (m.b.v. GLU) program for Black girls and femmes using an open trial (Study 1) of the adapted curriculum for Black girls and femmes, while simultaneously engaging participants in a phenomenological inquiry (Study 2) to understand how a particular factor – colorism – impacts Black girls and femmes in the context of appearance biases.
Research Methods
Study 1: We will conduct a proof-of-concept open trial study to evaluate them.b.v. GLU program among Colorado Black girls and femmes between the ages of 11and 22 (N=50).
Study2: We will conduct a qualitative phenomenological study to explore how colorism impacts Black girls and femmes in the context of appearance biases (N=15) using interviews and focus groups.
Key Findings & Publications /
Presentations
Data collection is ongoing. We have delivered two presentations on the studyapproach and aims.
“GirlsLike Us: Transforming Appearance Biases to Embrace Who We Be” (Association of Black Psychologists Annual Convention, Daytona Beach, FL,July, 2025).
“Empowering Youth to ChallengeAppearance Biases” (American Psychological Association Annual Conference,Denver, CO, August, 2025).
Contact to Learn More
References
Awad, G. H., Norwood, C., Taylor, D. S., Martinez, M., McClain, S., Jones, B., Holman, A., & Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2015). Beauty and Body Image Concerns Among African American College Women. Journal of Black Psychology, 41(6), 540–564.
Cotter, Elizabeth W., et al. “An Investigation of Body Appreciation, Ethnic Identity, and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Black Women.” Journal of Black Psychology, vol. 41, no. 1, Feb. 2015, pp. 3–25. SAGE Journals, https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798413502671.
Gordon K. H., Castro Y., Sitnikov L., Holm-Denoma J. M. (2010). Cultural body shape ideals and eating disorder symptoms among White, Latina, and Black college women. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16, 135-143.
Hesse-Biber S., Livingstone S., Ramirez D., Barko E. B., Johnson A. J. (2010). Racial identity and body image among black female college students attending predominately white colleges. Sex Roles, 63, 697-711. Crossref. Web of Science.
King, K. A., Vidourek, R. A., & Wager, D. I. (2012). Family history, body image, and disordered eating: An exploratory study. Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, 15(2), 17–23.
Mbilishaka, Afiya M., & Apugo Danielle (2020) Brushed aside: African American women’s narratives of hair bias in school, Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(5), 634-653. DOI: 10.1080/13613324.2020.1718075.
Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2005). “I’m, Like, SO Fat!”: Helping your teen make healthy choice about eating and exercise in a weight-obsessed world (1 ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Paxton, S. J., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Hannon, P. J., & Eisenberg, M. E. (2006). Body dissatisfaction prospectively predicts depressive mood and low self-esteem in adolescent girls and boys. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 35(4), 539–549. doi:10.1207/s15374424jccp3504_5
Rogers Wood N. A., Petrie T. A. (2010). Body dissatisfaction, ethnic identity, and disordered eating among African American women. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57, 141-153.
Schooler D., Monique Ward L., Merriwether A., Caruthers A. (2004). Who’s that girl: Television’s role in the body image development of young White and Black women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28, 38-47.