Body image, psychological symptoms and eating disorders among Chilean adolescents and young adults.

Abstract

Background: The construction of body image is crucial during adolescent development. Several studies show that body dissatisfaction is common, especially among women. This is a risk factor for eating behavior disorders. Aim: To describe psychological variables and dimensions about body image among adolescents and young adults. Material and Methods: Three self-administered questionnaires, MBSRQ (Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire) that measures body image, Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) that measures the presence of psychological and psychiatric symptoms and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2), which measures eating problems, were applied to 1,438 students aged 19 +/- 2.7 years (53% women) from three Chilean regions. Results: Sixty five percent of respondents would like to weigh less. Compared with men, women have greater psychological distress, concerns about their appearance and their weight, are more obsessed with thinness, and have fewer behaviors aimed at solving these problems. Conclusions: A high percentage of respondents want to lose weight. In addition, women have serious desires and search for thinness.