No abstract

The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with misperceptions of body shape for 1,681 first‐year University students from Germany and Lithuania. The perception of body shape was rated on a five‐point scale. Multifactorial logistic regression showed that German students were more likely to perceive themselves as being fatter than their BMI suggested compared with their Lithuanian peers. The results indicated that misperception of body shape was a substantial problem for these university students, particularly those from Germany.

The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with misperceptions of body shape in university students from two different countries. The sample consisted of a total of 1.681 first-year students from the University of Bielefeld, Germany, (n=650), and from the Universities of Kaunas, Lithuania, (n=1.031). Using a standardised questionnaire, sociodemographic and lifestyle data, and self-reported weights and heights were collected. The perception of body shape was rated on a five-point scale from much too thin to just right and much too fat. There were discrepancies between perceived body shape and status of body-mass-index. Seventeen percent of students who had a normal (18.5-24.9) or even high (>24.9) body mass index (BMI) considered themselves as being thinner, while 27% who had a normal or even low (<18.5) BMI perveived themselves as being fatter. Multifactorial logistic regression showed that German students were more likely to perceive themselves as being fatter than their BMI suggested compared to their Lithuanian peers. Besides this country difference, such over estimation of body shape was more pronounced in women, in younger students and in students with a higher level of psychosocial stress. In contrast to this, men were more likely to perceive themselves as thinner than suggested by their BMI. The results indicated that misperception of body shape was a substantial problem in university students, especially in students from a German university. Preventive action should be taken at universities to promote realistic body weight perceptions, as well as healthy eating patterns.