Perception on body image and its associated factors among undergraduates in selected faculties of a state university in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: Perception on body image; the way individuals see or feel about their physical appearance, can influence one's mental well-being, self-esteem and lifestyle. Since there is a dearth of research on this in Sri Lanka, the perception of body image among undergraduates, who are an active social group, demands a com-prehensive understanding.Objective: To describe the perception on body-image and its associated factors among undergraduates in selected faculties of a state university in Sri Lanka.Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 389 undergraduates selected through convenience sampling from the faculties of Applied Sciences, Medical Sciences, Management and Commerce and Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Data was collected through a validated, pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire circulated as a Google form via social media. Perception on body image, mental well-being and self-esteem were assessed using the Body-focused shame and guilt scale (minimum 0, maximum 88, cut-off 37), WHO-5 well-being index (minimum 0, maximum 100, cut-off 40) and Rosenberg self-esteem scale (minimum 10, maximum 40, cut-off 28) respectively. All attributes were dichotomized using the means obtained from the pilot test.Results: Majority of the participants were females (n=270, 69.4%). Median age was 23 years (IQR=4). Majority (n=242, 62.2%) showed normal BMI (18.5-24.9). Two of every five undergraduates tend to have a negative perception on their body image.Among the participants who had negative per-ceptions on their body image, 69.0% had poor mental well-being, 72.3% had low self-esteem and 61.3% were highly concerned about fashion and cosmetics to improve their appearance.Conclusions: TNegative perception on body image is a hidden problem among undergraduates in Sri Lanka. The association of one’s gender, mental well-being, self-esteem and fashion with body-image perception is significant.