Prevalence of disordered eating behaviors, body image dissatisfaction, and associated factors among Thai female undergraduate students

Abstract

Previously, a few studies on body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors among adolescents in Thailand have been reported. The objectives of this study were to examine body image dissatisfaction in Thai female undergraduate students and determine the prevalence rates of eating disorders and associated factors among the students. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study and 447 first-year female students, enrolled for semester 2011 in Naresuan University, Thailand, participated in this study. They were asked to fill out the self-administered questionnaire, which included a sociodemographic and collegiate survey, Thai version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), Thai version of the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), and Thai version of the perceived sociocultural pressure scale. It was found that slightly over half (56.15%) of the students had normal Body Mass Index (BMI), according to World Health Organization classification. However, some (19.24%) of the students had body image dissatisfaction (BSQ scores>110) and a few (6.34%) them had problematic eating behaviors (EAT-26 scores>20). The study also found that BMI, level of stress from education, and the perceived sociocultural pressure were correlated significantly with body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors in this population. It was found that students' fields of study were associated not with BSQ and EAT-26 scores, but with BMI, level of stress from education, and perceived pressure from society. A positive correlation between the BSQ and EAT-26 score was also found in the study.