The Role of Physical Appearance Comparisons, Rumination in Eating Behavior and Body Image Concerns Among University Students

Abstract

Body image, a multidimensional construct encompasses the individual’s perception, attitude and feelings towards own physical appearance, is influenced by the societal standards about the physical appearance. Individuals who experience body dissatisfaction often modify their eating behaviors in an attempt to align with societal standards and gain social acceptance. This study focuses on the influence of social comparison on eating behavior and body image in young adults. The cross-sectional research design was used to recruit a sample of 300 young adults. Participants were within age range of 19 to 30 year (M=22.31, SD=1.72), were both male and female. A sample were chosen by using purposive sampling from the universities in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. sample of 62% females and 38% males, with 94% participants in the age group of 19 to 20 years. Demographic analysis showed that 56.8% of participants had a healthy BMI, 35.2% were overweight, and 4% were underweight or obese. Educational qualifications differed, with the highest percentage being D Pharmacy at 23.2%, followed by Computer Science, Engineering, and other disciplines. The majority of the participants, that is, 87.2%, were unmarried, and most, that is, 80.4%, belonged to middle socioeconomic status. The study used the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R), the Silhouette Rating Scale (SRS), Rumination Response scale and the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS) to measure social comparison tendencies, rumination, body image, and eating behavior. The results showed that participants often engage in physical appearance comparisons, which were positively correlated with brooding rumination and disordered eating and body image concerns but reflection didn’t show significant relation with these variables. Findings indicated that comparisons of physical appearance were highly related to concerns about body image, eating disorder behaviors, and brooding rumination. Brooding, on the other hand, was strongly related to all the primary study variables, while reflection was less and generally non-significantly related. These results indicate that brooding, and not reflection, is a more significant mediator of psychological outcomes related to appearance. This study underscores the essential role of physical comparisons in rumination, that indirect influence the perception of body and eating behavior in young adults.