Relationship between Quality of Life and Body Image Perception in Iranian Medical Students: Structural Equation Modeling

The body image is a complex concept that influences various factors, one of these factors is the quality of life. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between quality of life and body image perception in the medical students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

This descriptive study was carried out on 400 students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences using a stratified random sampling method and the samples were selected from each faculty in 2017 using simple random sampling Questionnaires (PSDQ) and (SF‑12) were used. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation and t‑test, Mann‑Whitney U, ANOVA, kelmogrouf smirnouf test and Spearman Correlation to SPSS 16 software and structural equation modeling (SEM) was to test the relationships between the three parameters (quality of life, body image, and demographic characteristics) using AMOS24 software.

The findings show Quality of life significantly correlated with two demographic variables: location and exercising of students. Body image perception significantly correlated merely with the body mass index and exercising. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) results confirmed a positive and direct relationship between the quality of life and body image perception.

The results showed that there is a significant relationship between body image perception and quality of life. Therefore, by modifying and improving the students’ quality of life in the dormitories, the level of students’ self‑concept can be raised in order to prevent the physical and psychological complications of this group of community.