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 (<0.05) for Age, Gender and BMI, respectively. Conclusion: The study highlighted a high burden of Body Image Dissatisfaction in the healthy medical student community of King Edward Medical University, Lahore. The frequency was found to be higher in females, Teenage group, and Overweight BMI range.