Positive Body Image and General Health: A Mixed Methods Study

The present study aimed to explicate the impacts exerted by positive body image on the general health including mental health of the participants. Sixty seven male and female students with age ranging from 20 years to 30 years pursuing their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes participated in the present study. The study was conducted in two phases using explanatory research design, a form of the mixed methods design. It uses quantitative study followed by qualitative study. In the first phase of the study, the positive body image and general health were measured by two distinct standardized psychological tools. The results of the study indicated that the female participants amassed higher mean score on Body Appreciation Scale as compared to their male counterparts. The participants also showed higher mean score on general health as compared to the male participants. The scores of the positive body image of the participants were positively correlated to the scores of their general health. In addition, the scores of the positive body image of the participants predicted their general health. In the second phase of the study, eight extreme scorers on Body Appreciation Scale were chosen for qualitative study involving semi-structured interview to find out the basic themes regarding the nature and significant correlates of positive body image. The thematic analysis of the qualitative data demonstrated that the low and high scorers on positive body image differed in their meaning and determinants for the positive body image. The results of the study have significant theoretical and practical implications for eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, general health and well-being. It will be equally important for psychotherapeutic and counseling purposes. The findings of the study would have noteworthy theoretical and practical contributions for the researchers, clinicians, government health policy makers, health professionals and administrators. It will equally attract the attention of the researchers of interdisciplinary disciplines. The results have been discussed in the context of current theories of positive body image and general health. The future directions for the researchers have also been given.