ABSTRACT
Background: The term body image dissatisfaction (BID) can be defined as the negative attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, or feelings that one carries with respect to his or her own body. BID is a growing concern among university students globally, affecting their mental health and wellbeing. The growing influence of social media, cultural beliefs, and media exposure on body image perceptions among young adults necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the contributing factors specific to the Nigerian context. Objectives: This study investigates the prevalence, socio-psychological correlates, coping strategies and mental health outcomes of BID among University of Benin undergraduate students. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study using a multi-stage sampling technique was conducted among 400 undergraduate students. Data was collected using structured self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27.0. With level of significance set at p < 0.05 Results: The mean age of respondents was 22.03 ± 3.18 years. The study revealed that 19% of respondents experienced BID. Media influences played a role in body image perceptions, with 44.8% of respondents sometimes feeling insecure due to images they encountered in the media, while 10.8% often felt insecure. Most respondents (88.5%) felt satisfied with their body image, with 11.5% expressing dissatisfaction. A large proportion (68.4%) of those who reported body image dissatisfaction had sub-optimal mental health, while only 31.6% had optimal mental health. Conversely, among those satisfied with their body image, 74.1% reported sub-optimal mental health, and 25.9% reported optimal mental health. Despite these observed differences, the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and mental health status was not statistically significant (p = 0.318). Positive rational acceptance was the dominant coping strategy of the respondents with 81.8 adopting this mechanism to manage the dissatisfaction with their body image. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for interventions promoting positive body image, mental health support, and a supportive environment to mitigate the negative impacts of BID on student well-being. Keywords: Body image dissatisfaction, mental health outcomes, coping strategies, undergraduate students, University of Benin.
