Body-checking and its association with nutritional status in young adults

Background The body-checking is a frequent behavior observed in young adults. It is associated with body dissatisfaction and inappropriate eating attitudes. However, its association with nutritional status remains unclear. Objectives This study aimed to assess the association between body-checking behavior and nutritional status. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 587 (311 men) undergraduate students from the city of Juiz de Fora – Minas Gerais. The frequency of body-checking behavior was assessed by Body Checking Questionnaire and Male Body Checking Questionnaire; and inappropriate eating attitudes by Eating Attitudes Test-26. Body weight and height were self-reported. Descriptive, Chi-square test of association and Multiple Correspondence Analysis were done, adopting a statistical significant level of 5%. Results Association was found between body-checking behavior, nutritional status and gender (c2 (64) = 3219.88; p