Born into Imbalance: Gender-Specific Associations Between Son Preference Culture and Adolescents’ Body Image and Weight Control

• In Event: 40820 - Section on Sociology of Sex and Gender Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 11: Gender & Health

Abstract

A male-skewed sex ratio at birth was highly prevalent in Korean society until the late 2000s, with a national average sex ratio of 110.3 male births per 100 female births between 1990 and 2010. This demographic imbalance was largely driven by strong son preference norms that shaped reproductive decisions during this period. While the implications of the skewed sex ratio at birth for marriage markets and family structures have been studied, its impact on adolescents born during these years remains unexplored. Using a nationally representative sample, this study examines the association between the sex ratio at birth in the year and region in which adolescents were born and their body image distortion and weight control efforts. The analysis combines national vital statistics data with the 2008-2023 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The findings reveal that a male-biased sex ratio at birth is significantly associated with an increased likelihood of overestimating body size and engaging in weight loss behaviors among adolescents. Notably, we found gender-specific patterns in the associations. As the sex ratio at birth exceeded the natural ratio, the probability of overestimating body weight increased for Korean girls but decreased for Korean boys. Similarly, as the sex ratio became more male-skewed, Korean girls were more likely to engage in weight loss attempts compared to making no effort. For boys, however, no such association was observed. These findings suggest that male-biased sex ratios, rooted in son preference norms, have had a detrimental impact on body image perceptions and weight control behaviors among female adolescents. This study highlights that the consequences of these demographic imbalances extend beyond birth and continue to shape adolescents’ health behaviors and self-perceptions during their formative years.

Author

• Soojin Han, University at Albany, SUNY