Body Image Dissatisfaction in Healthy Medical Students and its Association to Body Mass Index, Gender and Age

Abstract

A negative self-perception of one's body is termed as Body Image Dissatisfaction (BID), its outcome being an overall low self-esteem, externality, depression and distortion. It needs to be dealt with efficiently failing, can potentially lead to disordered eating (Anorexic/Bulimic Disorders, gruesome weight management) and even suicidal tendencies. Objective: To determine the frequency of Body Image Dissatisfaction in apparently healthy medical students and to determine the association of Body Image Dissatisfaction with Body Mass Index (BMI), Gender and Age. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted with a sample of 242 students of King Edward Medical University, Lahore. Data was collected through a self-administered and self-reported questionnaire with Stunkard’s Silhouette Scale attached. Data was entered in SPSS version 26. Descriptive analysis was done, and p value was calculated by Pearson Chi Square Test. Results: The frequency of Body Image Dissatisfaction was established to be 82.2%. The frequency of Body Dissatisfaction was found to be 76.9% and 87.6% in Males and Females respectively, 89.3% and 78.5% in Teenage and Post-Teenage groups respectively, 90.5%, 77.4% and 94.3% in Underweight, Normal Weight and Overweight BMI ranges, respectively. P value turned out to 0.036, 0.029 and 0.011 (