Body image satisfaction among female college students

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Anthropometry
• Psychology

Background:

• Body image satisfaction is a crucial aspect of mental health and overall well-being, particularly for young women entering professional institutions.
• Understanding factors influencing body image satisfaction is essential for developing targeted interventions to support student mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the level of body image satisfaction among newly admitted women students in a professional institution.
• To explore the relationship between body image satisfaction, body mass index (BMI), and other socio-demographic and health-related variables.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 96 women students.
• Data collected through personal interviews using a semi-structured schedule, including self-reported body image satisfaction, life satisfaction, health status, and socio-demographic details.
• Objective measurements included height, weight, and hip/waist circumference; Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated.

Main Results:

• Over 86% of students reported fair, good, or excellent body image perception, with only 13.54% dissatisfied.
• Body image satisfaction showed significant positive relationships with perceived image, general health, and self-weight assessment.
• Low weight students (BMI <18.5 kg/m²) had higher satisfaction (85.71%), while overweight students (BMI ≤23 kg/m²) showed higher dissatisfaction (54.54%).

Conclusions:

• High body image satisfaction was observed, significantly associated with anthropometric measurements and general health.
• Preserving high body image satisfaction is vital for the mental and healthy development of students.
• Recommendations include promoting personality development, self-acceptance, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with optimum weight.