A study on body image and eating habits of female students taking a child education course at a Japanese junior college

INTRODUCTION:  The ratio of low birth weight children in Japan is increasing. Hypoalimentation in childhood is associated with adulthood diseases, such as arteriosclelosis, diabetes, and hypertension, and much focus has been placed on how these diseases relate to the health and dietary habits of young women. The establishment of dietary habits, health education, and enlightenment are important for maintaining women's health in the teens and twenties. Accordingly, attention has been placed on those who provide care for children, such as teachers and childcare staff, who can communicate with parents regarding proper dietary habits. The study aimed to clarify the body image and eating habits of female students taking a child education course at a Japanese junior college.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 434 female students (first year, 233; second year, 201) attending a child education course at a Japanese junior college in July 2013. Two self-administered questionnaires were distributed: a custom-made questionnaire consisting of 15 items on knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to health and dietary habits, and the ‘Brief-type Self-administered Diet History Questionnaire (BDHQ)' developed by EBNJAPAN. The chi-square test and t-test were used to assess associations with each questionnaire item. P<0.05 was considered significant. All statistical analyses were performed with HALBAU7 and SPSSVer.16.0.

RESULTS:  The average age was 18.9±1.3 years, height 157.6±5.4cm, weight 50.4±6.4kg, BMI 20.3±2.4, and energy intake 1578.1±876.8kcal/day. First year students weren't more knowledgeable regarding own BMI than second year students (58.0%, p=0.01). Of all, 75.1% felt their nutritional balance was poor. Among the four body images presented, students picked the slender type, regardless of own BMI. No significant relationship was found between first and second year students.

CONCLUSIONS:  Our findings clarify the body image and eating habits of female students taking a child education course at a Japanese junior college.