Evaluation of Body Perceptions of Women Aged Between 20-55 Years

Year 2022, Issue 18, 892 - 906, 31.12.2022

Can ERGÜN Bilge MERAL KOC Selin KALEOĞLU

https://doi.org/10.38079/igusabder.1196777

Abstract

Aim: Body perception is the harmony between perceived and possessed body weight, and disturbances in body perception may form the basis for negative conditions such as mood disorders, depression, eating disorders, obesity, and excessively increased physical activity. The aim of the study is to evaluate the body perception and body satisfaction of women between the ages of 20-55.

Method: 236 women between the ages of 20-55 participated in the study. In the study, information about anthropometric measurements, sociodemographic characteristics, and the level of knowledge about obesity was obtained from the participants. In order to determine body perceptions, the silhouettes with certain Body Mass Index (BMI) values ranked from 1 to 6 were evaluated by the participants according to their personalities, health, and social characteristics.

Results: Body weight dissatisfaction was found in 65,3% of the women participating in the study; It was observed that 92,2% of those who were not satisfied wanted to lose weight. Participants matched silhouettes with low BMI with more positive personalities, social and health characteristics. Body dissatisfaction and impaired body weight perception were significantly associated with increased BMI, age, and chronic illness; it was observed that there was no significant relationship between education level, occupational group, physical activity level, and knowledge level about obesity.

Conclusion: It was determined that most of the women had a distorted body image, idealized a thinner body appearance, and identified overweight silhouettes as obese. 

Keywords

Body perception, body dissatisfaction, body image, obesity, eating disorders, women

20-55 Yaş Arası Kadınların Beden Algılarının Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Beden algısı, algılanan ile sahip olunan vücut ağırlığı arasındaki uyum olup beden algısındaki bozulmalar duygu durum bozukluğu, depresyon, yeme bozuklukları, obezite, aşırı artmış fiziksel aktivite gibi olumsuz durumlara zemin oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmanın amacı 20-55 yaş arası kadınların beden algısının ve beden memnuniyetinin değerlendirilmesidir.

Yöntem: Çalışmaya 20-55 yaşları arasında 236 kadın katılmıştır. Çalışmada katılımcılardan antropometrik ölçümler, sosyodemografik özellikler ve obeziteye dair bilgi düzeyinin belirlenmesine yönelik bilgiler alınmıştır. Beden algılarının saptanması için belirli Beden Kütle İndeksi (BKİ) değerlerine sahip 1’den 6’ya kadar sıralanmış kimliksiz silüetler katılımcılar tarafından kişilik, sağlık, sosyal özelliklerine göre değerlendirilmiştir.

Bulgular: Araştırmaya katılan kadınların %65,3’ünde beden ağırlığı memnuniyetsizliği olduğu; memnun olmayanların %92,2’sinin ise ağırlık kaybetmek istedikleri gözlemlenmiştir. Katılımcılar düşük BKİ’ye sahip silüetleri kişilik, sosyal, sağlık yönünden daha olumlu özellikler ile eşleştirmiştir. Beden memnuniyetsizliğinin ve bozuk beden ağırlığı algısının artan BKİ, yaş, kronik hastalık durumu ile anlamlı bir biçimde ilişkili olduğu; eğitim düzeyi, meslek grubu, fiziksel aktivite düzeyi, obeziteye dair bilgi düzeyi ile anlamlı bir ilişkisi olmadığı saptanmıştır.

Sonuç: Kadınların çoğunda bozuk beden algısı olduğu daha ince bir vücut görünümünü idealleştirdikleri, hafif şişman silüetleri obez olarak niteledikleri tespit edilmiştir. 

Keywords

Beden algısı, beden memnuniyetsizliği, beden imajı, obezite, yeme bozuklukları, kadın

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