Abstract:
Background: Body image is the mental picture individuals have of their physical
appearance and the resulting attitude towards themselves. University students
experiencing negative body image have high tendencies for low self-esteem, depressive
illness, anxiety, poor feeding habits, suicidality, internet addiction, cyber bullying and
risky health behaviors including alcoholism, drug abuse and unsafe sexual activities.
This creates the need to understand the relationship between body image, self-esteem
and health-related behaviors.
Broad Objective: This study aimed to establish the level of body image satisfaction and
the relationship between body image, self-esteem, and health-related behaviors among
Moi University, Eldoret West Campus students. Specific objectives were body image
satisfaction level and its relationship with body image and self-esteem. Furthermore, it
assessed the association between body image, self-esteem and sociodemographic
characteristics as well as health-related behaviors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 421 undergraduate students
who were stratified by academic year and sampled randomly from Eldoret West
Campus‟ Schools of Business Management, School of Education and School of Arts in
Eldoret-Kenya. Data was collected using a validated and pretested structured
questionnaire entailing sociodemographic characteristics, Body Mass Index (BMI),
Multi-Dimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), Rosenberg Self-
Esteem Scale, Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS) and Psychological General
Wellbeing Index. Descriptive data were analyzed as frequencies with corresponding
proportions as well as mean and corresponding standard deviation. Tests of association
were conducted using both Pearson Chi-square and Fisher's exact test at a critical value
of p≤0.05. Odds ratios were computed at 95% confidence interval for statistically
significant relationships.
Results: This study enrolled nearly equal proportions of male (48.2%; n=203) and
female (51.8%; n=218); with 53.5% of all the students aged between 18-21 years. On
body image, 344 (81.7%) were satisfied with their self-attitudinal aspect of appearance,
317 (75.3%) invested in their appearance, 258 (61.3%) were dissatisfied with their
contour drawings (global aspect of body image) while 311 (73.9%) classified themselves
as having a normal weight. There was a statistically significant association between
having a normal self-classified weight and a normal BMI status (p=0.004). Gender
positively affected appearance evaluation (p=0.028), appearance orientation (p<0.001),
overweight preoccupation (p=0.014), weight classification (p=0.001), contour drawing
rating scale (p=0.001), anxiety (p=0.001) and positive wellbeing (p=0.021). Female
students were more likely (OR=1.122, 95% CI: 1.023, 1.231) to be satisfied with their
appearance evaluation compared to male students. Body image was significantly
affected by overweight preoccupation (p=0.035) and anxiety (p<0.001). High self-esteem
positively affected overweight preoccupation (p=0.032) while anxiety
significantly associated (p=0.009) with having an abnormal BMI.
Conclusions: Majority of students were satisfied with their self-attitudinal aspect of
their body image (MBSRQ) but dissatisfied with their global aspect of body image
(CDRS) and this was gender specific. Anxiety predisposed the students to having an
abnormal BMI while those with a high self-esteem had an overweight preoccupation.
Recommendations: The findings could be adopted by students, parents, university
administrators, health practitioners, non-governmental organizations and policy makers
to create screening and intervention programmes for body image concerns. Future case control
studies should be conducted to explain causality of body image concerns.