Perceived Body Image and Its Relationship with Body Mass Index, Self-Esteem, and Body Change Strategy among Rural Adolescents in Samarahan and Asajaya Districts

• Main Author: Wong, Liang Tung
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) 2020
• Subjects: R Medicine (General)
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/37733/1/WONG%20LIANG%20TUNG%20%2824%20pgs%29.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/37733/4/WONG%20LIANG%20TUNG%20%28fulltext%29.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/37733/

Body image is a complex and multifaceted construct with multiple associated factors determining its perception among adolescents. The present study aims to determine the perceived body image and its relationship with body mass index, self-esteem, and body change strategy among rural adolescents. Methods: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional study design. Multistage random sampling was used for this study. A total of 318 adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years old from rural communities of Samarahan and Asajaya district in Sarawak were recruited for this study. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22.0. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean (SD) age of adolescents was 14.6 (2.7) years old, with a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 19 years old. Gender was almost equal, with males at 52.2% and females at 47.8%. Most of the respondents were Malays (54.4%), followed by non-Malay Bumiputras (35.2%) and Chinese (10.4%). For perceived body image, 37.4% of the respondents were satisfied with their body image, and 17.3% were dissatisfied with their body image. The remaining 45.3% were neutral with their body image. Regression analysis revealed that gender of respondents, body mass index and strategy to increase weight were able to predict perceived body image among adolescents. However, self-esteem was found not to have any correlation with perceived body image.