Relationships between Body Shape, Body Image and Health Complaints in Women Registered at a Facility for Managing Body Shape

여성의 체형과 신체상, 건강문제 호소간의 관계 - 체형관리 시설에 등록한 여성을 대상으로 -

This study aims at examining relationships between perceived body shape, body image and health complaints among 88 women registered at a facility for managing body shape, which leads to adequate management of obesity in women for healthy lives. The survey was conducted by using a questionnaire consisted of 12 items of general characteristics and interests for weight control, 47 items of body image, and 57 items of Cornell Medical Index(CMI). The data were analyzed by using mean standard deviation, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient. The results are following. 1. The means of age, body weight, height of the women were 27.02 years, 56.02 years, 56.03kg, 161.71cm, respectively. The level of obesity by body shape was 47.7% for standard type, 26.2% for slim type, 26.1% for fat type. Those women graduated from high school or higher education institutions were 97.7%. 2. More than 70% of the subjects perceived their weight as overweight, while 26.1% of the women were fat according to the level of obesity. Ninety percent of the subjects were not satisfied with their body shape. 3. Body weight increased most during middle and high school days. The women became interested in weight control through talks with friends(35.2%), influence of mass communication(34.1%), and social custom(22.7%). As to the method of weight control, subject's own judgement(54.5%) revealed highest percentage, whereas only 20% of the subjects adopted prescriptions of experts for weight control or of doctors. Those who had side reactions from weight control were 30.7%. High percentages of the women reported the decrease the amount of eating(54.5%), the increase the amount of exercise(27.3%) as the effective methods of weight control. 4. The score of body image differed significantly by the perceived body shape : the score was highest in the perceived standard type. 5. The level of health complaints did not differ by the perceived body shape. In relation to the level of obesity, physical health complaints were high in the groups of very slim type and of very fat type, while mental health complaints were high in the groups of very slim type and of fat type. 6. Very high correlations were observed between the perceived body shape and body image and between physical health complaints and mental health complaints.