Exploring the impact of BMI on body dissatisfaction and eating behaviors among Caribbean university women

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine the role of BMI in body dissatisfaction and eating pathology among 570, Indo-Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean female university students. Participants, 18–59 years, completed self-reports on body image, weight perceptions and eating behaviors. Data analysis included: analysis of variance, multiple regression, and descriptive discriminant analyses. The majority (67.5%) expressed satisfaction with their bodies. Afro-Caribbean participants reported greater body satisfaction than Indo-Caribbean participants (F(2, 554) = 3.51, p = .031). As BMI increased, so too did body dissatisfaction and disordered eating (F(3, 535) = 19.92, p < .001). Participants with obesity reported more body dissatisfaction and disordered eating (M – F(18, 254 384.046) = 1.580, p = .056). BMI should be considered when examining body dissatisfaction and eating pathology among Caribbean female university students, particularly among those with overweight/obesity. In the Caribbean, previous studies indicate an appreciation for the overweight or ‘fluffy’ female body ideal but more recently the thick ideal, particularly among Black women. More clarity is needed on the current ideal endorsed by BMI and ethnic categories among Caribbean females.

Level of evidence

Level V: cross-sectional descriptive study.

KEYWORDS:

• Caribbean university females
• ethnicity
• BMI
• body dissatisfaction
• disordered eating behaviors

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.