A cross sectional comparative study to assess body image dissatisfaction in men and women in rural central India

Abstract

Background In recent decades, the topic of body image has frequently been discussed. Some people view their bodies favorably, whereas others think negatively of them (1). An unhealthy body image can lead to terrible outcomes and is unpleasant (2). This is a significant public health problem that calls for effective intervention. So far, studies on body image issues in the past have tended to concentrate more on women. Therefore, there is a great demand for research on young people’s body image dissatisfaction as well as for comparative studies. Our objective was to assess the prevalence of body image issues in men and women aged 18 to 35 in rural central India and to determine the gender differences in body dissatisfaction. Methods This is a cross sectional study based on young adults aged 18 to 35 in rural central India. It is a convenience-based sampling and the formula used is Krejcie-Morgan Formula, using this the sample size came out to be 190. The ethics committee’s approval will be secured and the students will be asked for their informed consent before providing socio-demographic information and completing the following questionnaires: 1. Body image dissatisfaction scale. 2. Body image questionnaire. Results Once we get the answers to the aforementioned questionnaires, we will be able to evaluate the prevalence of body image problems among adults in rural central India and also compare the gender disparities in body dissatisfaction.