Body image perception and satisfaction in university students

Abstract

Body image represents the mental perception of body shapes and is a multifactorial structure that includes psychological, physical and emotional elements. The discrepancy between the subjective perception of body image and the desire for the ideal body type can interfere with the feeling of satisfaction and trigger the desire for changes in appearance, directly interfering with mental health and general well-being. Men and women may differ in body image satisfaction due to the different social influences and beauty standards imposed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the subjective perception of body image and satisfaction with body shapes among men and women. The sample consisted of 100 college students of both genders. Subjective perception of body image and satisfaction were measured through self-assessment, through scale figure silhouettes. There was a significant difference in the subjective perception of body image in the comparison between genders, and women presented greater discrepancy between the real and the perceived image. In the analysis of satisfaction with body image there were no differences between genders and both presented high percentage of dissatisfaction. In addition, 46.2% of men would like to decrease their body shapes, 53.8% would increase them. As for women, 76.1% would like to decrease their body dimensions and 23.9% to increase them. The strong pressures imposed by society and the standards set by the prevailing media in determining body image dissatisfaction or self-assessment negatively, regardless of gender.

Insatisfação com a Imagem Corporal em Universitários do Extremo Sul do Brasil

“…Pesquisa realizada com 100 universitários, identifi cou alto percentual de insatisfação em ambos os sexos, sendo que 46,2% dos homens gostariam de reduzir as formas corporais e 53,8% de aumentá-las. Nas mulheres, 76,1% gostariam de reduzir suas medidas corporais e 23,9% de aumentá-las 23 .…”

Weight cycling among Indonesian college students in West Java province during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Women place such a high value on their appearance because they frequently experience low self-esteem and low physical satisfaction. There is significant difference in subjective perceptions of body image between sexes, with women demonstrating a higher disparity between real and perceived body image (Lôbo et al, 2020). Moreover, overweight female students have a significantly higher prevalence of body image dissatisfaction (Ugelta et al, 2022).…”

Prevalência, ocorrência e variáveis psicológicas associadas ao transtorno dismórfico corporal: uma revisão de escopo

“…A insatisfação corporal, que é uma descontinuidade entre a percepção subjetiva do corpo e a imagem corporal desejada, está associada a danos à saúde mental. Dentre eles, a preocupação excessiva com a aparência física, sintoma característico dos distúrbios de imagem e que provocam a redução da qualidade de vida dos indivíduos acometidos (Lôbo et al, 2020).…”