Investigating Self-esteem and Body Image Concern among Students of Islamic Azad University of Abhar Using Demographic Variables, 2015

Background: Two main factors of success and failure of individuals in all different stages of life are considered to be self-esteem and body image. Objectives: The present study aimed at examining self-esteem and body image concern among students of Islamic Azad University of Abhar based on demographic variables. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2015, and participants consisted of 154 male and female students at Islamic Azad University of Abhar-Iran. Stratified random sampling method was used, and samples were chosen from different fields of study. Data were collected using two standard questionnaires, that is, Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES). Data analysis was carried out through SPSS software version 16, descriptive statistics, Chi-square, independent t-test, and ANOVA. Results: Regarding body image concern, 27.3% of the participants were found to be asymptomatic, and 45.5% of them were found to have symptoms. In addition, 27.3% of the participants were recognized to have a severe disorder. The participants’ scores regarding body image concern were found to be significantly different according to age, marital status, field of study, and education level (P<0.05). With respect to self-esteem, 35.1% of the participants were found to have low self-esteem, 32.4% had moderate self-esteem, and 32.5% enjoyed high self-esteem. Furthermore, the participant’ self-esteem scores significantly varied in terms of age, marital status, field of study, and education level (P