Abstract
Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate perceived and ideal body image (BI) and associated factors among female university students in Saudi Arabia. Methods. This cross-sectional study included 663 university female students. Anthropometric measurements including weight, height, BMI, and BI perception (the 9-figure silhouette) were obtained. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis were conducted. Results. An agreement between actual, perceived, and ideal BI was found in 23% of the participants. Behavioral (activity levels), social (presence of obese parents and fathers' level of education), and economic factors (households' monthly income, number of cars in the household, and kind of residence) were positively and significantly associated with the desire to be thinner. Similarly, socioeconomic associations (number of sisters and number of cars in the household) correlated positively and significantly with the desire to be heavier. Conclusions. The whole family should rather be considered in interventions related to appearance concerns and BI discrepancies. Furthermore, campaigns targeting improvement of adolescents' physical self-image should be a major priority of the public health sector.
Highlights
The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has increased in recent decades, with females (75–88%) generally having a higher prevalence rate than males (70–85%) [1]
As to the body image (BI) preference among Arab women, research conducted on the Bahraini adult population focusing on lifestyle and social factors associated with obesity revealed that Arab women consider the midrange of fatness to be the most socially acceptable, while very thin or obese body sizes were Journal of Obesity least accepted [9]
The instrument used in this study for assessment of lifestyle habits and socioeconomic factors was a self-reported questionnaire including measures of socioeconomic factors, along with physical activities [15], building on the Arab Teens Life Style (ATLS) questionnaire [16]
Summary
The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has increased in recent decades, with females (75–88%) generally having a higher prevalence rate than males (70–85%) [1]. Studies have shown that despite low rates of obesity among university students in general, many students, especially females, perceive themselves to be overweight [4]. This inappropriate weight perception is linked to unhealthy behaviors, including eating disorders [5]. Data from the United States showed that African-American and Caucasian adults and adolescents appear to differ significantly in BI preference [7]. As to the BI preference among Arab women, research conducted on the Bahraini adult population focusing on lifestyle and social factors associated with obesity revealed that Arab women consider the midrange of fatness to be the most socially acceptable, while very thin or obese body sizes were
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