Relation of Body Image perception and Nutritional status of School going and Not school going Adolescents

Abstract

Abstract
Background: Adolescents are very much concerned regarding their body image. Body image concerns indirectly affect the social relations and scholastic performance. It has an important relation with nutritional status. There is paucity of data regarding body image among adolescents with different BMI groups. Objective: To assess the perceived body image and degree of dissatisfaction among different BMI group of adolescents and study the other factors associated with it. Method: A cross sectional survey was done among 1600 different BMI group of adolescents to assess their body image perception and degree of dissatisfaction using Body Image Questionnaire (BIQ). Additional data regarding their socio-demographic profile were collected. Results: Overall 49% with BMI >90 percentile whereas 34% adolescents with BMI < 3rd percentile were unsatisfied with their body image. Overweight adolescents had the maximum discrepancy and maximum dissatisfaction for their body image factors followed by optimum weight adolescents and least among the underweight adolescents. There was significant association of height with mean BIQ among overall and school going adolescents, whereas no variation in non school going adolescents was observed. Lower paternal education was associated with high BMI of adolescents whereas graduate level of maternal education had a peak BMI. Conclusion: Large proportion of overweight adolescents are unsatisfied with their body image. Adolescents mean BIQ was significantly associated with height. Lower paternal education was associated with more mean BIQ and vice versa.
Keywords: Body Image, Body Image Questionnaire (BIQ), Body Mass Index (BMI), Adolescence.