Exploring the link between body image perception and body composition among female members of the curves, Setia Alam

Body image perception plays an important role in a person’s life, especially for women. Misconceptions about body image perception can lead to unhealthy lifestyle and affect the psyche. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between body composition and body image perception. 99 active female members of the Curves, Setia Alam took part in this study. Questionnaires were distributed and body composition was measured. The hypotheses were statistically analysed using Pearson’s chi-square test at p <0.05 level of significance. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between body image perception and body composition (BMI, body fat mass, percentage body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, visceral fat percentage, and skeletal muscle mass). All body composition variables showed that body perception was controlled by these factors. It also proved that the details of the body composition variable could influence respondents’ answers to the body image question when they described how they thought they look. The perception of body image and the relationship with women's lifestyle, such as the quality of sleep, the amount of physical activity and daily food intake, can be investigated in more detail in the future.