Determining the Body Image Perception of Students in a School of Nursing

Purpose: The study was planned as a descriptive research to determine body image perception of the nursing students.

Method: The study population consisted of all students (n=482) training in a school of nursing. The sample of study included 380 students who were studying in school and who were volunteer to participate and give information for the study. The questionnaire consisted of an Information-Form which was prepared by the researcher and “The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire” that the validity and reliability has been carried out as 0.94 of Cronbach-Alpha values by Doğan & Doğan was used. The data were analysed by using numerical and percentage, corellation-coefficients, variance and post-hoc significance test.

Results: The mean of the total body image-scores they were found 202.53±25.03. Between body-mass index and questionnaire total score is found stastically significiant (F=3.56, p=0.03). Particularly in the dieting students score was found to be relatively lower than nondieting students (F=3.72, p=0.01). There were significiant differences in aspect of total-scale-scores between group which wished to be lowerweight and group which was content with their weight (F=12.45, p=0.00).

Conclusion: Consequently, majority is high bodyimage-scores of nursing students. This study may be help to understand particularly in adolescents bodyimage of effect factors and to gain healthpromotion of lifestyles.