ABSTRACT
Body image is an individual’s self-perceptions and attitudes about his or her physical appearance, leading to either satisfaction or dissatisfaction. This study determined the body image perception, dietary habit and anthropometric status among female university students in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State.
This study was a cross sectional survey that comprised the sample of 361 female college students aged between 17-34 years old randomly selected and completed a questionnaire on their body image perception, dietary habits and anthropometric measurements. Anthropometric parameters provide a lot of information about body composition and nutritional status (Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference were the taken anthropometric measurements). Data collected were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Students that perceived themselves as normal, overweight, underweight, and obese were 67.9%, 14.7%, 8.9%,7.5% and 1.15% respectively. The dietary habit of the students revealed that 80.6% of the respondents skip meals and the meal skipped was beakfast (42.3%). The prevalence of obesity and overweight recorded 1.9% and 15.0%, respectively. Meanwhile, 72.6% of the university female students were categorized as having normal weight. Furthermore, 59.0% of the female college students were found to be at risk of abdominal obesity. There was no significant correlation between body image dissatisfaction with BMI.
Altering body image perception and required moderate-intensity physical activity should be promoted within weight loss program among college female students also knowledge on weight management, eating habit should be increased among undergraduates through nutrition education.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Table
of contents v
List of
tables viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the study 1
1.2
Statement of the problem 2
1.3
Objectives of the study 3
1.3.1
General objectives of the study 3
1.3.2
Specific objectives of the study 3
1.4
Significance of the study 4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
Body Image Perception 5
2.2
Body Image 6
2.2.1
Body Image and Dissatisfaction 7
2.2.2
Factors Affecting Body Image 8
2.3
Body Image and Effect on Health 9
2.4
Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours 9
2.4.1
Barriers to Healthy Behaviours 10
2.5
Positive vs Negative body image 12
2.6
Factors that affects body image 12
2.6.1
How media can affect body image 12
2.6.2
Body Image and Gender 13
2.6.3
Body image and age ` 13
2.6.4
Body Image and self-esteem 14
2.7
Dietary Habits 15
2.7.1
Nutrient intake and its effect 17
2.7.1.1
Effect of dietary fibre and whole grain 17
2.7.1.2
Effect of fruits and vegetables 18
2.7.2
Effects of dietary pattern 19
2.7.3 Effects of dietary patterns on health 19
2.8 Anthropometry 20
2.9 Anthropometric
Measurement 23
2.9.1 Weight measurement 23
2.9.2 Height measurement 23
2.9.3
Circumferences 24
2.9.3.1 Waist
Circumference (WC) 24
2.9.3.2 Hip Circumference
(HC) 24
CHAPTER 3: MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1
Study Design 25
3.2
Study area 25
3.3
Population of the study 25
3.4
Sampling and sampling techniques 25
3.41
Sampling size 25
3.4.2
Sampling procedure 26
3.5
Preliminary activities 26
3.5.1
Training of Research Assistants 26
3.6
Data Collection 27
3.6.1
Questionnaire Design 27
3.6.1.2
Validation of Questionnaire 27
3.6.2
Anthropometric Measurements 27
3.6.2.1
Weight measurement 27
3.6.2.2
Height measurement 28
3.6.2.3
Body Mass Index 28
3.6.2.4
Waist circumference 28
3.6.2.5
Hip circumference 28
3.6.2.6
Waist – Hip Ratio 29
3.7
Data analysis 29
3.8
Statistical analysis 29
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1
Socio-demographic of respondents 30
4.2
Socio-economic characteristics of respondents’ parents 31
4.3
Students’ perception of body image 33
4.4
Dietary habits of respondents 35
4.5
Anthropometric status of respondents 37
4.6
Relationship between body mass index and waist-hip ratio of respondents 39
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1
Conclusion 41
5.2
Recommendation 43
REFERENCES 44
APPENDIX
Questionnaire 55
LIST OF TABLES
Table
4.1: Socio-Demographic Characteristics of the Students. ` 30
Table
4.2: Socio-Economic Characteristics of Students Parents 32
Table
4.3: Students |Per4ception of their Body Image 34
Table
4.4: Dietary Habits of the Respondents 36
Table
4.5: Anthropometric Status of Respondent 38
Table
4.6: Relationship between Body Mass Index and Waist-Hip Ratio of Respondent 40
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Body
image is defined as “a person’s perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about his
or her body” (Grogan, 2008). Body image depends on various factors:
psychological components and socio-cultural influences such as family, peers,
and ethnicity (Gross et al., 2005). Physiological
functions such as appetite, food consumption and body weight are intricately
linked to psychological constructs such as body image, self-esteem and
psychosocial adjustment (Tykla, 2015). The mass media
which generates aesthetic ideals are important in influencing the perception of
one’s image and leading to a tortuous search for the ideal body. This creates
real pressure that leads to internalization of a beauty ideal and to an inevitable
desire to conform to it. Teenage girls especially perceive their body image
based on values shared by peer groups (Pruneti et al., 2007). Some
studies found out that every teenager imitates the body shape and image of
socially appreciated persons such as artists, singers or popular persons (Khor et al., 2009). This results in pushing
them to achieve a popular body images using uninformed dietary practices and
unhealthy habits which affects desired growth. These malpractices of food
habits among teenagers lead to deteriorated health among them (Grogan, 2008).
Adequate
nutrition is the right proportion of food and nutrients needed for growth,
energy and maintenance. Improved nutrition status plays an important role in
the well-being of individuals and is critical for socioeconomic development (Nemati et
al., 2008). Malnutrition is a pathological state resulting from a deficiency
or wrong proportion of essential nutrients. Malnutrition has serious
implications for people and communities thus, hindering the socioeconomic and
human development of a nation as one of the most critical health issues because
of its long lasting negative effects (Muller and
Krawinkel, 2005;
Akinyemi and
Ibraheem, 2009; Khattak and
Khan, 2009). Nutrition
assessment is the system of determining conditions of nutritional health of a
person, or a group of persons.
Nutrition
status is assessed in different ways which includes; anthropometry, dietary intakes,
biochemical and clinical methods. All these methods can be applied to the
assessment of nutritional status of individuals or groups (Carraça et al., 2011).
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
Research has shown that females especially are
not always happy with their body image (whether obese or thin) and as such are
often conscious of what they eat, how they eat, where and when they eat, which
may influence their feeding habits and thus leading to eating disorder
(anorexia or bulimia nervosa) (Grogan, 2008).
Body image also affects many areas of
psychological functions in females. These includes depression and anxiety which
could lead to lack of confidence and impairment in social functioning (Yasemin
and Huseyin, 2010).
A negative body
image may act as a barrier to physical participation. Individuals with a
negative body image may be involved in social physique anxiety linked to real
or unreal negative physical evaluation. Studies have shown that females whether
active or inactive, are at greater risk of body dissatisfaction and disordered
eating than men. Those who perceive themselves as overweight are more likely to
do physical exercise to lose weight than those who do not feel that they are
overweight. Weight misperception among overweight and obese adults is
associated with less likelihood of interest in an attempt to lose weight and they
do less physical activity (Duncan et al., 2011).
University students may experience poor
dietary habits. It has been reported that unhealthy dietary habits, such as irregular
eating and skipping of breakfast are more frequent than those observed in high
school students due to the increased time away from home and lack of ability
and time to cook (Poobalan et al., 2014; Hilger et al., 2017). Health problems
that are related to economic independence and sociocultural changes among university
students are known to occur. These include an increase consumption of
instant/processed foods and alcohol, low consumption of vegetables, fruits, and
dairy products, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles (Beaudry et al., 2017).
These reasons underscore the purpose of the study.
1.3 OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
1.3.1 General
objectives of the study
The general objective of the study is to examine
the body image perception, dietary habit and anthropometric status of female
students in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
1.3.2
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The specific objectives of the study are to:
1. Determine the socio-economic status of the
female students.
2.
Assess the body image perception
of female students.
3.
Determine the food habits of
the female students.
4.
Assess the anthropometric
status of the students.
5.
To determine the relationship
between body image perception and body mass index of students.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The
research work will benefit female students of Michael Okpara University of
Agriculture Umudike and help them to know about their body image perception. It
will help nutritionist, Governmental and Non-Governmental organization,
Ministry of health and Public health workers both in local and state levels to
draw conclusions about the effect of perception on the dietary habit of female
students in MOUAU in terms of healthy body weight and body image perception. It
will also help policy makers in planning and implementing actions and
intervention programmes.
However,
there are limited information on the perception on dietary habit and body image
of females. Therefore, the research work will be a base line study to other
researchers in the field.
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