Mudanças na imagem corporal entre universitários após o primeiro ano acadêmico

Abstract

University life represents a phase of intense changes in the lives of individuals, favoring exposure to new challenges and health risks, including aesthetic standards. Objective: To evaluate changes in body image perception among university students after the first academic year. Methods: It is a dynamic cohort, carried out with students entering full-time courses at the Federal University of Mato Grosso. Body image perception was assessed by the Stunkard scale. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction with body image at admission to university in 2015 and one year after, 2016 were identified. Students were grouped according to the maintenance of perception (satisfaction or dissatisfaction) and change (becoming satisfied and making unsatisfied) in body perception. The proportions of the variables of interest were estimated and the chi-square test was used to estimate the association between the variables. Results: The maintenance of body image satisfaction was observed in 15.8% of the students and the dissatisfaction in 62.9%. The prevalence of alteration in body image was 10.6% both to become satisfied and to become dissatisfied. There were no significant differences, either for maintenance or for alteration, according to sex, age group, economic class and course area. Only living in republics and being overweight were associated with maintenance and altered perception of body image. Conclusion: Changes in body image perception among students after one year of university admission were observed, with a high prevalence of maintaining dissatisfaction with body image.