The Frequency Of Body Dysmorphic Disorder In Female University Students

Abstract

Background:

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), once known as dysmorphophobia, is a mental disorder in which the person afflicted is engrossed with an imagined imperfection in their appearance that is actually normal or is very minor.

Methods:

The cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi at Ziauddin University targeting female students between the ages of 17– 25, using an adapted questionnaire which was used to diagnose BDD and determine the role of media in influencing their self-image.

Results:

Out of the 180 students included in this study, at least 9.4% were highly concerned about one or more than one physical attributes, while 2.8% showed extreme concern. 6.1% met the DSM-V criteria for BDD. The most frequent foci of concern were: Being too fat or too thin (35%), skin (24.4%), hair (15%), teeth (14%) and nose (14%). 24.4% of the students got sad/angry/depressed because of their appearance .The study also showed that 42% of the subjects spent 1-2 hours watching television every day, and 13.9% watching 3-7 hours of television per day. 46.7% also regularly visit entertainment/beauty websites or read entertainment magazines. 22.8% were extremely satisfied with their appearance, as opposed to 4.4% which were extremely dissatisfied.

Conclusion:

Our results show that BDD is widespread amongst female college students. The body features of concern were recognized and the influence that media, either through the use of beauty magazines or television/movies on self-image was estimated.

Key Words:

Body Dysmorphic disorder (BDD), Females, Frequency, Risk factors