Severe body dissatisfaction in physical education students: Assessing characteristics and risk groups.

Abstract

ntroduction: Body dissatisfaction, a subject of study linked to the field of Health Sciences, is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, considered an emerging health problem, a subject of concern and research in various fields. Historically, its relationship with society has been influenced by aesthetic norms and cultural patterns. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified exposure to unattainable beauty standards, particularly through excessive use of social media, impacting the mental health of the population, especially among young people. In this context, university students in the health field, given their peculiarities such as direct interaction with the body, may be particularly susceptible. Objective: To analyze the phenomenon of body dissatisfaction in the Brazilian university context, integrating its theoretical and methodological aspects with the assessment of prevalence and risk factors in Physical Education students at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro. Method: Observational, cross-sectional study with data collection based on questionnaires (N=214). Data analysis was conducted in two phases. Analytical or exploratory phase (1) with the student census, allowing a general assessment of the phenomenon in the study population; and descriptive phase (2), through targeted analysis and concentrated on those categorized as severely dissatisfied. Only students aged ≥ 18 years participated. Results: The total prevalence of body dissatisfaction in the sample was 22.9%, with 11.2% classified as moderate or severe. The dissatisfied group (Body Shape Questionnaire 34) showed a significant association (p<0.05) and of greater magnitude compared to the satisfied group, in the following variables: female gender (p<0.0001), high mean BMI (p<0.0001), older mean age (p<0.01), history of eating disorders (p<0.0001), and mental health problems (p=0.001). Contextual and behavioral factors were also significantly associated: use of photo editing on social media (p=0.0001), "non-heterosexual" sexual orientation (p=0.032), and changes in body composition during COVID-19 (p=0.0003). The in-depth analysis of Phase 2 (severe subgroup) confirmed that 100% of cases were women with poor or fair self- perceived general health, characterizing a higher-risk prototype, strongly linked to psychological comorbidities and body image dysfunction. Conclusion: Body dissatisfaction is a prevalent and multifactorial phenomenon in Physical Education students, whose associations with clinical, behavioral, and contextual variables (digital age and pandemic) provide important insights for the health field. The identification of these multiple risk groups (especially females, individuals with psychological comorbidities, and heightened digital exposure) justifies the need for urgent rehabilitation interventions focused on dismantling obsessive hypervigilance and promoting biopsychosocial well-being.