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Studied the perceptions of 165 Mexican American and Euro-American adolescents and their parents about healthy and attractive female body sizes and shapes using a pictorial measure. Results suggest that Euro-American and Mexican American participants report similar preferences for females' body sizes and shapes, but little agreement was found between perceptions of preadolescents and their parents. Uses principles of evolutionary theory and social learning theory to interpret the findings. (SLD)

Recent research suggests that social experiences influence the onset of puberty among Euro-American girls. This study investigated seventy-five (75) Mexican American and Euro-American girls (mean age = 9.74 years) to empirically examine relations between family structure and pubertal onset among a multi-ethnic sample in the beginning stages of puberty. Results suggest that even after controlling for girls' ethnicity, age, body mass index, and family income, pubertal development occurs earlier for girls residing in homes with a non-biological male (i.e., step-fathers or mothers' boyfriends) compared to girls residing in homes with only their biological mother or both biological parents. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of possible negative consequences of early pubertal development for both Mexican American and Euro-American girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]