European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED PARENTAL SUPPORT AND BODY DISSATISFACTION AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

Ashwin Sivakumar* and Gokulraj Pachagoundan

ABSTRACT

Since time immemorial, beauty has been a part of society, and body dissatisfaction - a state of mind that causes the individual to feel negative about their physical appearance-has affected a majority of people in society. This condition is prevalent among college students due to various factors like the increasing use of social media usage that provide platforms for interactions between students. This study examines the causes of body dissatisfaction and the association of parental support with body dissatisfaction. The study is vital since it will provide data on the causes of depression, improper feeding regimes, and causes of some health disorders in students. The study will also inform us of the importance of parental support to college students. The study involved surveying interviews. Where there were randomly chosen participants were chosen for the interview, and their responses were recorded. The study used two scales: Body Area Satisfaction Scale (BASS) and Perceived parental autonomy scale. The results showed higher perceived parental support lowered body dissatisfaction and lower parental support caused higher body dissatisfaction levels. A conclusion that indeed perceived parental support to students plays a big role in lowering body dissatisfaction levels.

Keywords: perceived parental support, body dissatisfaction, body image.