Influence of body dissatisfaction in the choice of the career of student’s new entry to nutrition

Abstract

The beauty standards currently imposed are affecting the perception of body image (BD) in both men and women, causing many young people to choose the bachelor’s degree in nutrition as a way to improve their figure. The aim of the study was to identify the influence of body dissatisfaction in the career choice of new students to the degree in nutrition as compared to those of psychology. The study was quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional and was conducted with new students entering the bachelor’s degree in nutrition and psychology of Higher Education Institutions in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. Two questionnaires were applied, one that included a record of general data and questions about career choice and the Body Image Questionnaire (BSQ) to identify BD. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to analyse the correlation between the BD and the reasons for the career choice. It was observed that the women in the nutrition have a higher prevalence of BD (43.1%) compared to those in psychology (26.9%) and 30.8% of the population with BD, do not feel good about themselves and choose the bachelor’s degree to use the knowledge of this major to improve what bothers them. It is concluded that the BD has an influence on the bachelor’s degree choice of nutrition students, especially in women.