No Body’s Perfect: A Study on Body Image Dissatisfaction among College Students in the University of the Philippines Manila

Abstract

Body image dissatisfaction has received an increased interest around the world and findings of recent studies reveal the rising number of men and women who experience this condition. However, despite the growing interest in this area of research, local studies are still lagging behind in the systematic documentation of this phenomenon. This study probed at the experience of body image dissatisfaction among college students in Manila, in particular the socio-demographic profile of those with body image dissatisfaction and the psychological impact of the condition on the respondents, such as anxiety, depression and lowered self-esteem. A self-report survey questionnaire to measure body image dissatisfaction was administered to 273 male (n = 106) and female (n = 167) college students from the University of the Philippines Manila. Six participants, three males and three females, with high self-reported body image dissatisfaction were then interviewed to triangulate the data found in the survey. The results showed that higher socioeconomic status and broken families are linked to higher body image dissatisfaction. Opinion of peers and friends, family members, romantic partners, and media were found to significantly influence body image satisfaction or dissatisfaction of college students. There were no significant differences observed between males and females in terms of body image dissatisfaction, which indicates that both sexes were equally prone to experiencing depression and anxiety caused by dissatisfaction with one’s body image. Body image dissatisfaction was also found to have significant relationship with depression and anxiety. Measures of global self-esteem of the respondents also showed weaker relationship with body image dissatisfaction.