The Association of Sociocultural Attitude towards Body Image and Eating Disorders among College Student Girls in Tehran City, Iran

Dissatisfaction with one's body image can cause problems such as eating disorders. The highest frequency of unhealthy nutritional behaviors and body image disorders is observed in university students. These disorders are life-threatening and difficult to diagnose.

This project was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study on girl students in Tehran City, Iran. To assess the symptoms of eating disorders, the adapted form of Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT26) questionnaire was used, and to assess people's attitudes towards their appearance affected by cultural and social factors, the adapted form of the Socio-Cultural Attitudes towards Appearance-3 (SATA3) questionnaire was used. By a questionnaire, demographic information was measured, and students' weight and height were recorded.

The mean scores of EAT26 and SATA3 were as 10.45 ± 8.3 and 92.3 ± 19.3, respectively. There was a significant relationship between SATA3 and EAT26 questionnaires scores (P < 0.050), and for each unit of SATA score increase, EAT26 score increased by 0.161. Increased body mass index was directly related to dissatisfaction with body image. There was also a significant relationship between the duration time of using social media with dissatisfaction with body image and eating disorders.

In this study, a significant relationship was observed between socio-cultural attitudes about body image and eating disorders among girl students in Tehran City. Therefore, educational measures to increase students' awareness can help to prevent these disorders and increase their health.