Comparisons of Body Image Perception, Health Related Lifestyle and Dietary Behavior Based on the Self-Rated Health of University Students in Seoul

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the differences in perceived body weight and image and various lifestyles based on the self-rated health of university students when gender was adjusted. Five hundred fifty-five participants were asked their perceived health condition, and 58, 289, 160 and 48 students answered themselves as very healthy, normal, and unhealthy, respectively. As compared to the other 3 groups, unhealthy group showed higher proportions in dissatisfaction of body weight and negative perception of body image (P < 0.01). As health related lifestyles, very group reported longer sleeping than unhealthy group (P < 0.05), and had a higher proportion of people with regular exercise. Among the dietary behaviors, the frequencies of followings significantly different among the groups: Regularity of meal time (P < 0.01), Eat protein more than twice a day (P < 0.001), Eat vegetables (P < 0.01), Eat fruit and fruit juice (P < 0.01), Eat vegetable oil added foods (P < 0.01), Eat seaweed (P < 0.01), Eat breakfast (P < 0.01), Modulation in animal fat and high in cholesterol intake (P < 0.01). Particularly, higher proportion of subjects answered very had higher frequencies (6-7 times/ week) of these dietary behaviors. Overall results suggest that healthy lifestyle including adequate sleeping time, regular exercise, and good dietary behaviors might be potential factors affecting positive perception of health. In addition, positive perception of body weight and image were related with positive perception of health. (Korean J Community Nutr 16(6) : 672~682, 2011)