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.
