Life Satisfaction, Dieting Behavior, and Weight Perceptions among College Students

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among perceived life satisfaction, perceptions of body weight, and dieting behaviors among 522 college students. Adjusted multiple logistic regression analyses and multivariate models constructed separately were utilized for this study. Perceptions of underweight and extreme worry over weight were significantly associated with dissatisfaction with life for both males and females (p<0.01). However, vomiting; perceptions of overweight; binge eating behavior; extreme worry over binge eating behavior; and engaging in binge eating behavior for more than one year were significantly related to dissatisfaction with life for only females (p<0.01). In addition, both males and females were less likely to self-identify problematic disordered eating, with males being particularly less likely to report concern over extreme dieting behaviors. Results suggest that carefully designed educational and intervention efforts for college students with eating disorders must take gender differences into account. Programs for males may need to differ from those for females in terms of recruitment, intervention integrity, and evaluation considerations.A variety of eating disorders is prevalent among college students. Some estimate the number of young adult women with eating disorders at 5% (Kreipe and Mou 2000).

Satisfaction With Life, Well-Being, and Meaning in Life as Protective Factors of Eating Disorder Symptoms and Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents

“…Satisfaction with life has been negatively related to several eating disorder-related symptoms, such as vomiting, perception of being overweight, binge eating behavior (Matthews, Zullig, Ward, Horn, & Huebner, 2012;Zullig, Pun, & Huebner, 2007), dieting, laxative use (Esch & Zullig, 2008;Valois, Zullig, Huebner, & Drane, 2003), perceived eating control (Greeno, Jackson, Williams, & Fortmann, 1998), and body dissatisfaction (Brannan & Petrie, 2011), in college students, eating disorder patients, younger and older adolescents, and adults. These associations have been particularly strong for female subjects.…”

Perceived Difficulty of Performing Selected HIV/AIDS Preventive Behaviors and Life Satisfaction: Is there a Relationship for African American Adolescents?

“…Researchers have found significant relationships between decreased adolescent life satisfaction and substance abuse [34,35], violent and aggressive behaviors [36,37], suicide ideation and behavior [38], sexual behaviors associated with the risk of STIs, HIV and unintended pregnancy [39-41], severe dating violence [42], inappropriate dieting behavior and body weight perceptions [43-45] and a lack of physical activity [46]. These findings suggest that perceived quality of life (life satisfaction) has been a neglected component of adolescent health research [47].…”

Not all developmental assets are related to positive health outcomes in college students

“…Reduced life satisfaction is also related to unhealthy dieting and weight perceptions [24-26], suicide ideation [27] and a sedentary lifestyle [28]. In light of these established relationships with life satisfaction, subjective quality of life is an important facet of health research that is often overlooked [29].…”