Body self-esteem, physical self-concept, and eating disorders in university students: a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v69.116295Keywords:
Body image, body esteem, eating disorders, physical health, university studentsAbstract
Introduction: currently, the university stage represents a period in which students undergo significant personal, social, and emotional transformations. In this context, concerns related to body esteem, physical self-concept, and eating disorders often arise.
Objective: to determine whether there is a significant relationship between body esteem, physical self-concept, and eating disorders in university students from the south of Peru.
Methodology: a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample consisted of 474 students who were administered the Body Esteem Scale (BES), the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire (PSQ), and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), all of which have adequate metric properties.
Results: a high positive correlation was found between body esteem and physical self-concept (r= 0.707, p<0.01), indicating that students with higher body esteem tend to perceive a better physical self-concept. Furthermore, both body esteem (r= -0.277, p<0.01) and physical self-concept (r= -0.218, p<0.01) showed significant negative correlations with eating disorders, suggesting that lower levels of body esteem and physical self-concept are associated with higher levels of these disorders.
Discussion: although some studies support these findings, further research is needed to confirm and expand upon these results.
Conclusions: there is a significant relationship between body esteem, physical self-concept, and eating disorders in university students from the south of Peru.
References
Abdoli, M., Nayak, O., Fadia, A., Rairikar, M., De Sousa, A., & Cotrufo, P. (2025). Body image and self-esteem in Indian and Italian university students: Cross-cultural insights for psychiatric well-being. Psychiatry International, 6(2), 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint6020040
Arias, A. F., González, E. V., & Vargas, A. V. (2024). Composición corporal y autoestima corporal en usua-rios de gimnasios en una población colombiana. Retos, 60, 12–20. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v60.99275
Behar, R., & Cordella, M. P. (2022). Dificultades interpersonales en los trastornos alimentarios: Un mo-delo psiconeurobiológico explicativo/comprensivo. Revista Chilena de Neuro-Psiquiatría, 60(2), 195–205. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-92272022000200195
Bonfanti, R. C., Melchiori, F., Teti, A., Albano, G., Raffard, S., Rodgers, R., & Lo Coco, G. (2025). The associ-ation between social comparison in social media, body image concerns and eating disorder symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Body Image, 52, 101841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101841
Brechan, I., & Kvalem, I. L. (2015). Relationship between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: Mediating role of self-esteem and depression. Eating Behaviors, 17, 49–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2014.12.008
Bucchianeri, M. M., Arikian, A. J., Hannan, P. J., Eisenberg, M. E., & Neumark, D. (2013). Body dissatisfac-tion from adolescence to young adulthood: Findings from a 10-year longitudinal study. Body Image, 10(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.09.001
Caldiroli, A., Affaticati, L. M., Coloccini, S., Manzo, F., Scalia, A., Capuzzi, E., La Tegola, D., Colmegna, F., Dakanalis, A., Signorelli, M. S., Buoli, M., & Clerici, M. (2024). Clinical factors associated with binge-eating episodes or purging behaviors in patients affected by eating disorders: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 14(6), 609. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14060609
Cardozo, L. A., Peña, J. C., Florez, W., Castillo, C. A., Bonilla, D. A., & Reina, J. L. (2023). Autoconcepto físi-co en estudiantes universitarios: Generación de perfiles por clasificación jerárquica sobre com-ponentes principales. Retos, 48, 167–177. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v48.95076
Carter, J. J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2022). Self-concept clarity and appearance-based social comparison to idealized bodies. Body Image, 40, 124–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.12.001
Chaudhry, S., Tandon, A., Shinde, S., & Bhattacharya, A. (2024). Student psychological well-being in higher education: The role of internal team environment, institutional, friends and family sup-port and academic engagement. PloS One, 19(1), e0297508. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297508
Contractor, R., & Rasquinha, D. (2023). Exercise behaviour and body esteem of gym-goers in India. Eu-rope's Journal of Psychology, 19(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.3687
Córdova, P., Gasser, P., Naranjo, H., La Fuente, I., Grajeda, A., & Sanjinés, A. (2023). Academic stress as a predictor of mental health in university students. Cogent Education, 10(2), 2232686. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2232686
Cortés, L., Rodríguez, R., & Von, T. (2022). Prospective associations between loneliness and disordered eating from early adolescence to adulthood. The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 55(12), 1678–1689. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23793
Dalhoff, A. W., Romero Frausto, H., Romer, G., & Wessing, I. (2019). Perceptive body image distortion in adolescent anorexia nervosa: Changes after treatment. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 748. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00748
Dane, A., & Bhatia, K. (2023). The social media diet: A scoping review to investigate the association be-tween social media, body image and eating disorders amongst young people. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(3), e0001091. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001091
Demaria, F., Pontillo, M., Di Vincenzo, C., Bellantoni, D., Pretelli, I., & Vicari, S. (2024). Body, image, and digital technology in adolescence and contemporary youth culture. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1445098. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1445098
Dominguez, S. (2018). Magnitud del efecto, una guía rápida. Educación Médica, 19(4), 251-254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edumed.2017.07.002
Donato, K., Ceccarini, M. R., Dhuli, K., Bonetti, G., Medori, M. C., Marceddu, G., Precone, V., Xhufi, S., Bus-hati, M., Bozo, D., Beccari, T., & Bertelli, M. (2022). Gene variants in eating disorders. Focus on anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, 63(S3), E297–E305. https://doi.org/10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2772
Eck, K. M., Quick, V., & Byrd, C. (2022). Body dissatisfaction, eating styles, weight-related behaviors, and health among young women in the United States. Nutrients, 14(18), 3876. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183876
Erriu, M., Cimino, S., & Cerniglia, L. (2020). The role of family relationships in eating disorders in ado-lescents: A narrative review. Behavioral Sciences, 10(4), 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs10040071
Estrada, E. G., Cruz, E. O., Quispe, J., Quispe, Y. A., Bautista, J. A., Pujaico, J. R., Cahuascanco, E., Paricahua Peralta, J. N., & Velasquez, L. (2024). Evaluando la relación entre la adicción a las redes sociales y los trastornos alimentarios en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios peruanos: Un estudio transversal. Retos, 61, 1207–1215. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v61.110476
Estrada, E. G., Farfán, M., Lavilla, W. G., Cruz, E. O., & Avendaño, C. E. (2025). Explorando la relación en-tre la autoestima corporal y la motivación deportiva en una muestra de estudiantes universita-rios: Un estudio transversal. Retos, 65, 307–319. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v65.111585
Fox, K., & Corbin, C. (1989). The Physical Self-Perception Profile: Development and preliminary valida-tion. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 11(4), 408–430. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.11.4.408
Frank, G. K. W., Shott, M. E., & De Guzman, M. C. (2019). The neurobiology of eating disorders. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 28(4), 629–640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2019.05.007
Freire, D., Utreras, A. I., Bonilla, S., Macias, E. C., & Real, E. (2020). Trastornos de la alimentación en es-tudiantes universitarios. Dilemas Contemporáneos: Educación, Política y Valores, 7(2), 69. https://doi.org/10.46377/dilemas.v32i1.2025
Frieiro, P., González, R., & Domínguez, J. (2022). Self-esteem and socialisation in social networks as determinants in adolescents' eating disorders. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30, e4416–e4424. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13843
Garaigordobil, M., Pérez, J. I., & Mozaz, M. (2008). Self-concept, self-esteem and psychopathological symptoms. Psicothema, 20(1), 114–123. https://reunido.uniovi.es/index.php/PST/article/view/8630
Gatica, E., Yañez, R. A., Duclos, D., Cortés, G., Hinojosa, C., & Espinoza, L. (2024). Nivel de autoconcepto físico en estudiantes universitarios según género. Retos, 51, 1345–1350. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v51.101019
Gimenez, P., Correché, M. S., & Rivarola, M. F. (2013). Autoestima e imagen corporal: Estrategias de in-tervención psicológica para mejorar el bienestar psicológico en pre-adolescentes en una escuela de la ciudad de San Luis, Argentina. Fundamentos en Humanidades, 14(1), 83–93. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/184/18440029004.pdf
Goñi, A., Ruiz, S., & Rodríguez, A. (2006). Cuestionario de autoconcepto físico (CAF). EOS.
Gravetter, F., & Wallnau, L. (2014). Essentials of statistics for the behavioral sciences (8th ed.). Wadsworth.
Hambleton, A., Pepin, G., Le, A., Maloney, D., Aouad, P., Barakat, S., Boakes, R., Brennan, L., Bryant, E., Byrne, S., Caldwell, B., Calvert, S., Carroll, B., Castle, D., Caterson, I., Chelius, B., Chiem, L., Clarke, S., … Maguire, S. (2022). Psychiatric and medical comorbidities of eating disorders: Findings from a rapid review of the literature. Journal of Eating Disorders, 10, 132. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00654-2
Harter, S. (1990). Developmental differences in the nature of self-representations: Implications for the understanding, assessment, and treatment of maladaptive behavior. Cognitive Therapy and Re-search, 14, 113–142. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01176205
Iyer, S., & Shriraam, V. (2021). Prevalence of eating disorders and its associated risk factors in students of a medical college hospital in South India. Cureus, 13(1), e12926. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.12926
Jalali, S., Amiri, P., Zarani, F., & Azizi, F. (2021). The main physical components of body image from the perspectives of Iranian adolescents: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 78. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-10096-7
Jarni, N., & Gurr, D. (2024). A futures perspective on learning and teaching in higher education: An essay on best and next practices. Trends in Higher Education, 3(3), 793–811. https://doi.org/10.3390/higheredu3030045
Jekauc, D., Wagner, M. O., Herrmann, C., Hegazy, K., & Woll, A. (2017). Does physical self-concept medi-ate the relationship between motor abilities and physical activity in adolescents and young adults? PloS One, 12(1), e0168539. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168539
Jiménez, J., Ramos, D. J., Rodríguez, S., & Clemente, V. J. (2024). The association of body image percep-tions with behavioral and health outcomes among young adults. Nutrients, 16(9), 1281. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16091281
Jiotsa, B., Naccache, B., Duval, M., Rocher, B., & Grall, M. (2021). Social media use and body image disor-ders: Association between frequency of comparing one’s own physical appearance to that of people being followed on social media and body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. Interna-tional Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 2880. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18062880
Khalaf, A., Al Hashmi, I., & Al Omari, O. (2021). The relationship between body appreciation and self-esteem and associated factors among Omani university students: An online cross-sectional sur-vey. Journal of Obesity, 2021, 5523184. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5523184
Kim, I., & Ahn, J. (2021). The effect of changes in physical self-concept through participation in exercise on changes in self-esteem and mental well-being. International Journal of Environmental Re-search and Public Health, 18(10), 5224. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105224
Laus, M. F., Almeida, S. S., & Klos, L. A. (2018). Body image and the role of romantic relationships. Co-gent Psychology, 5, 1496986. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2018.1496986
Lego, S. R., Raykos, B. C., Tonta, K. E., Erceg, D. M., Waller, G., & McEvoy, P. M. (2024). Validation of the Interpersonal Relationships in Eating Disorders (IR-ED) Scale in an eating disorder sample. In-ternational Journal of Eating Disorders, 57, 2181–2193. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24259
Mallaram, G. K., Sharma, P., Kattula, D., Singh, S., & Pavuluru, P. (2023). Body image perception, eating disorder behavior, self-esteem and quality of life: A cross-sectional study among female medi-cal students. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1), 225. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00945-2
Melendro, M., Campos, G., Rodríguez, A. E., & Arroyo, D. (2020). Young people’s autonomy and psycho-logical well-being in the transition to adulthood: A pathway analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1946. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01946
Milano, W., Ambrosio, P., Carizzone, F., De Biasio, V., Foia, M. G., Saetta, B., Milano, M. F., & Capasso, A. (2022). Menstrual disorders related to eating disorders. Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disor-ders Drug Targets, 22(5), 471–480. https://doi.org/10.2174/1871530321666210625145345
Monthuy, J., Bouchard, S., Ouellet, M., Corno, G., Iceta, S., & Rousseau, M. (2020). eLoriCorps Immersive Body Rating Scale: Exploring the assessment of body image disturbances from allocentric and egocentric perspectives. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(9), 2926. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9092926
Moty, N., Somanah, J., & Putteeraj, M. (2023). Perceived body image towards disordered eating behav-iors and supplement use: A study of Mauritian gym-goers. Psych, 5(1), 80–101. https://doi.org/10.3390/psych5010009
Nagy, H., Paul, T., Jain, E., Loh, H., Kazmi, S. H., Dua, R., Rodriguez, R., Naqvi, S. A. A., U, M. C., & Bidika, E. (2022). A clinical overview of anorexia nervosa and overcoming treatment resistance. Avicen-na Journal of Medicine, 13(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1758859
Nguyen, D. T., Wright, E. P., Dedding, C., Pham, T. T., & Bunders, J. (2019). Low self-esteem and its asso-ciation with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in Vietnamese secondary school students: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 698. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00698
Ordóñez, P. (2015). Autoconcepto físico y bienestar psicológico en estudiantes de la Facultad de Psico-logía de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Revista Científica Ágora, 2(2), 188-195. http://dx.doi.org/10.21679/arc.v2i2.38
Paans, N. P. G., Bot, M., Brouwer, I. A., Visser, M., & Penninx, B. W. (2018). Contributions of depression and body mass index to body image. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 103, 18–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.05.003
Paim, L. D., Olinto, M. T. A., & Garcez, A. (2024). Association of body image perception/(dis)satisfaction and symptoms of eating disorders in university students of health sciences. Perceptual and Mo-tor Skills, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00315125241308927
Paricahua, J. N., Estrada, E. G., Poma, R. S., Velasquez, L., Herrera, A. J., Cruz, G. J., Guevara, M. F., Mora, O., & Cruz, E. O. (2024). Calidad de sueño, salud mental y actividad física en estudiantes universita-rios de la Amazonía peruana. Retos, 61, 59–68. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v61.109649
Pérez, M., Chacón, R., García, E., & Castro, M. (2021). Relationships among physical self-concept, physi-cal activity and Mediterranean diet in adolescents from the province of Granada. Children, 8(10), 901. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8100901
Peris, M., Maganto, C., & Garaigordobil, M. (2016). Escala de autoestima corporal: Datos psicométricos de fiabilidad y validez. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 3(2), 51–58. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/4771/477152554006.pdf
Petisco, C., Sánchez, L. C., Fernández, R., Sánchez, J., & García, J. M. (2020). Disordered eating attitudes, anxiety, self-esteem and perfectionism in young athletes and non-athletes. International Jour-nal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6754. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186754
Pop, L. M., Iorga, M., & Iurcov, R. (2022). Body-esteem, self-esteem, and loneliness among social media young users. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), 5064. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095064
Pulido, J. J., Tapia, M. Á., Díaz, J., Ponce, J. C., & López, M. Á. (2021). The relationship between students’ physical self-concept and their physical activity levels and sedentary behavior: The role of stu-dents’ motivation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15), 7775. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157775
Robatto, A. P., Cunha, C. de M., & Moreira, L. A. C. (2024). Diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders in children and adolescents. Jornal de Pediatria, 100, S88–S96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2023.12.001
Rodríguez, V., García, S., Molina, N., Ferriz, A., & Vera, F. (2021). Análisis de la influencia del género sobre el autoconcepto físico en las clases de educación física. Transformar, 2(2), 3–19. https://revistatransformar.cl/index.php/transformar/article/view/19
Rossi, A. A., Pietrabissa, G., Tagliagambe, A., Scuderi, A., Montecchiani, L., Castelnuovo, G., Mannarini, S., & Dalla, L. (2023). Many facets of eating disorders: Profiling key psychological features of ano-rexia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Behavioral Sciences, 13(3), 276. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13030276
Sáenz, S., González, F., & Díaz, S. (2011). Hábitos y trastornos alimenticios asociados a factores socio-demográficos, físicos y conductuales en universitarios de Cartagena, Colombia. Revista Clínica de Medicina de Familia, 4(3), 193-204. https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1699-695X2011000300003
Sharif, H., Sivarajan, E., Gorgulu, O., Osborne, J. W., Błachnio, A., Rezazadeh, A., Goudarzian, A. H., & Kaveh, O. (2024). The relationship among positive body image, body esteem, and eating attitude in Iranian population. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1304555. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1304555
Silva, L. (2016). Autoconcepto físico y bienestar psicológico subjetivo en estudiantes de psicología de las universidades de Trujillo. Revista de Psicología (Trujillo), 18(2), 1-16. https://revistas.ucv.edu.pe/index.php/revpsi/article/view/376
Suhag, K., & Rauniyar, S. (2024). Social media effects regarding eating disorders and body image in young adolescents. Cureus, 16(4), e58674. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.58674
Teixeira, M. D., Pereira, A. T., Marques, M. V., Saraiva, J. M., & Macedo, A. F. (2016). Conductas alimenta-rias, imagen corporal, perfeccionismo y autoestima en una muestra de mujeres portuguesas. Revista Brasileña de Psiquiatría, 38(2), 135–140. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1723
Thompson, M., Pawson, C., & Evans, B. (2021). Navigating entry into higher education: The transition to independent learning and living. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(10), 1398–1410. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1933400
Toral, N., Gubert, M. B., Spaniol, A. M., & Monteiro, R. A. (2016). Eating disorders and body image satis-faction among Brazilian undergraduate nutrition students and dietitians. Archivos Latinoameri-canos de Nutrición, 66(2), 129–134. http://saber.ucv.ve/ojs/index.php/rev_alan/article/view/20604
Treasure, J., Duarte, T. A., & Schmidt, U. (2020). Eating disorders. The Lancet, 395(10227), 899–911. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30059-3
Vartanian, L. R., Pinkus, R. T., & Fardouly, J. (2025). Self-concept clarity and appearance comparisons in everyday life. Body Image, 52, 101820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101820
Vega, E., Mosquera, Z., & Cubas, F. (2018). Frecuencia de trastornos alimentarios en estudiantes de la escuela de nutrición de la Universidad César Vallejo Lima Este, 2017. Revista Ucv - Scientia Bi-omédica, 1(2), 80–84. https://doi.org/10.18050/ucvscientiabiomedica.v1i2.1822
Voelker, D. K., Reel, J. J., & Greenleaf, C. (2015). Weight status and body image perceptions in adoles-cents: Current perspectives. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 6, 149–158. https://doi.org/10.2147/AHMT.S68344
Wallman, A., Eigensatz, M., Rubeli, B., Schmidt, M., & Benzing, V. (2024). La importancia de la percep-ción corporal en la relación entre la actividad física y la autoestima en adolescentes. Revista In-ternacional de Psicología del Deporte y el Ejercicio, 2024, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2024.2428194
Zhang, Y., Wen, Z., Zhu, Y., & Guan, G. (2024). Effects of physical exercise on body esteem among fe-males: A meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 24, 3387. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20861-7
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Edwin Gustavo Estrada-Araoz, Gilber Chura-Quispe, Guido Ayay-Arista, Elizabeth Orfelia Cruz-Laricano, Yasser Malaga-Yllpa, Jimmy Nelson Paricahua-Peralta, Libertad Velasquez-Giersch
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
