TY - JOUR

T1 - Is health behavior among university students determined by actual body shape or by body image? A European study

AU - Brandão, Maria Piedade

AU - Romani, Annettte Quinto

AU - Sudzina, Frantitsek

AU - Bo, Inger Glavind

AU - Mikkelsen, Bent Egberg

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - BACKGROUND: Appropriate body image self-perceptions provide a good help to increase the feeling of personal well-being, thus having an important impact on health. Universities, having an important role in shaping of the future workers, represent an important setting to approach health issues. OBJECTIVE: This study determined to what extent different types of students in higher education (four categories of students were created: "self-secure", "perfect", "destructive" and "apologetic") are likely to adopt different health risk behaviors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study in a sample of students from five European Universities in the 2016/2017 academic year was conducted. Based on the combination of body image perception and body mass index, four types of students were identified: "self-secure" (overweight students with a good self-esteem); "perfect" (underweight students with a good self-esteem); "destructive" (overweight students with a poor self-esteem); "apologetic" (underweight students with a poor self-esteem). RESULTS: The study reveals that the defined types of students differed in terms of risk behavior. When the control was included, the "self-secure" student type had a reduced likelihood of being on a diet (22.3%) and physically active (17.8%) than other students (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this paper raise concerns about the future because the body dissatisfaction of the college student could be a big impact in long term whether at collective, personally or even professionally.

AB - BACKGROUND: Appropriate body image self-perceptions provide a good help to increase the feeling of personal well-being, thus having an important impact on health. Universities, having an important role in shaping of the future workers, represent an important setting to approach health issues. OBJECTIVE: This study determined to what extent different types of students in higher education (four categories of students were created: "self-secure", "perfect", "destructive" and "apologetic") are likely to adopt different health risk behaviors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study in a sample of students from five European Universities in the 2016/2017 academic year was conducted. Based on the combination of body image perception and body mass index, four types of students were identified: "self-secure" (overweight students with a good self-esteem); "perfect" (underweight students with a good self-esteem); "destructive" (overweight students with a poor self-esteem); "apologetic" (underweight students with a poor self-esteem). RESULTS: The study reveals that the defined types of students differed in terms of risk behavior. When the control was included, the "self-secure" student type had a reduced likelihood of being on a diet (22.3%) and physically active (17.8%) than other students (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this paper raise concerns about the future because the body dissatisfaction of the college student could be a big impact in long term whether at collective, personally or even professionally.

KW - graduate education

KW - health risk behaviors

KW - Lifestyle

KW - self-perception

U2 - 10.3233/WOR-213613

DO - 10.3233/WOR-213613

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34744040

VL - 70

SP - 937

EP - 944

JO - Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation

JF - Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation

SN - 1051-9815

IS - 3

ER -