Psychological well-being, body image and risky eating behaviors in university students

Abstract

University students are susceptible to low levels of psychological well-being (PWB), which is associated with high levels of anxiety and depression, unhealthy habits and low body image acceptance (BIA), mainly in women, and derives from risk eating behaviors (REB). Objective: (1) Describe the level of PWB, BIA and REB propensity; (2) determine profiles that integrate differentiated possession of PWB with BIA, propensity for REB, and sociodemographic variables (3) identify predictors of low PWB in women university students. Method: Descriptive, cross-sectional and ex post facto study with 781 university women answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, the Scale of Psychological Well-being for Adults and the Brief Questionnaire for Risk Eating Behaviors. Results: 47.9% showed a low PWB, 41.4% medium and 10.8% high; 34.8% showed low BIA, 50.3% medium and 14.9% high. 41.7% showed REB. Four student profiles were detected: (1) they consume alcohol, tobacco and are sexually active; (2) from administrative areas and social sciences with a high BIA, high average, from a private school, medium to high PWB and without REB; (3) from areas of health, engineering and others, with low BIA, low average, from public school, low PWB, with REB and in need of psychological care; (4) without alcohol and tobacco consumption, without active sexual life, with medium and medium average BIA. Low or medium BIA, presence of REB and need for psychological care were predictors of low level of PWB.