Abstract

ALCARAZ LOPEZ, Gloria; LORA GOMEZ, Elizabeth  and  BERRIO ESTRADA, María Eugenia. Body Mass Index and perception of corporal image in nursing students. Index Enferm [online]. 2011, vol.20, n.1-2, pp.11-15. ISSN 1699-5988.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1132-12962011000100003.

Objective. To explore the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and body image's perception. Methodology. BMI and body image silhouettes from 199 Universidad de Antioquia's female students, from Medellin - Colombia, 2007 Body image's perception were calculated using the Sorensen et al's scale. We used measures of central tendency, dispersion, and proportion, besides, we measured the level of agreement between actual BMI and body image perception and level of agreement of these two variables with age and undergraduate level. Results. Average age 23.3 years, BMI 22.7 (SD: 2.9), 68.4% overestimated their body image (p = 0.05) and 4.5% underestimated it. There was concordance between actual BMI and body image perception in only 38.2%. Conclusion. This overestimation of body image's perception might affect the care model assistance that nurses provide to their patients and consequently it might distortion patients self perception and nutritional status.

Keywords : Body mass index; Obesity; Weight perception; Body image; Nutritional Status; Self-concept; Nurse's role.