Association of perceived body image and self- esteem among undergraduate nursing students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad

Abstract

Background: The nurse-patient ratio in Pakistan is 1:40, which is much higher than the global average of 1.5. this contributes to low self-esteem among undergraduate nursing students, but there is limited research on the topic. Most existing research on body image focuses on its negative aspects, but positive body image (PBI), defined as complete acceptance of own’s body, is an important component that should also be studied. Self esteem is a personality trait that is linked to emotional and mental well-being. Objectives: 1. To find out perceived body image among undergraduate nursing students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.2. To assess self-esteem among undergraduate nursing students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.3. To determine the association of perceived self image body and self-esteem among undergraduate nursing students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design was carried out. A simple random sampling technique was used to collect data from 400 undergraduate nursing students from different colleges in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The data were collected through a questionnaire, which was divided into four sections. The section contains a consent form as well as demographic questions for respondents. "Rosenberg’s (1996) Self-Esteem Scale, a 10 item Likert Scale, and the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ)—14 Modified Version" (Cooper, Taylor, Cooper, & Fairburn, 1987). The collected data were analyzed in SPSS 26 using demographic analysis, response frequency distribution, P-tests, and Chi-square tests. Results: In total, 121 (30.3%) of the respondents were male, while 279 (69.8%) were female. There is no relationship between sociodemographic and nursing students' perceived body image (P-value > 0.05), but on the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, we have a relationship between family (Nuclear family) P-value results of 0.0336, less than 0.05, and institute (Public) P-value results of 0.047, less than 0.05. iv Conclusion: The study found that there was a significant association between family and perceived body image, as measured by the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. However, no significant associations were found for other sociodemographic variables. Based on these findings, it is recommended to focus on improving the family and institutional environment to provide better support for nursing students. Keywords: Body image, Self-esteem, Nursing students, Rawalpindi, Islamabad.