Body Image, Self-Compassion, Depressive Affection and Sex on Undergraduate Students

The aim of the study is to test whether self-compassion, depressive affect and sex predict body image of university students. The study group consisted of 230 participants (77.4% women and 22.6% men) who continued their undergraduate education at a large university located in Ankara. "Body Image Scale", “Self-Compassion Scale”, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale’s “D-5: Depressive Affection” dimension and "Personal Information Form” were used as data collection tools. This study was a quantitative correlational research. Whether or not self-compassion, depressive affection and sex predicts body perception were investigated with 3 models by using stepwise linear regression analysis. All the three models were found to be meaningful, and according to findings, self-compassion, depressive affection, and sex together explained approximately 37% of the variance of body image. The strongest predictor of body image is self-compassion. The findings of this study is considered important in terms of revealing the variables that effect university students’ body image in Turkey