The behaviour of personal development of rural women in relation to their physical appearance: A case study from the province of Tokat, Turkey

Author: Esen Oruc Buyukbay ^* and Meral Uzunoz

Received 17 January 2010, accepted 8 April 2010.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to elucidate whether there is a link between BMI (Body Mass Index) and personal development of Turkish rural women. A questionnaire was conducted through personal interviews with 98 rural women living in Tokat province, Turkey. The women interviewed were divided into two groups based on their height and weight. Height and weight were used to compute BMI, which was divided into three categories: normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m²), overweight (BMI 25.0– 29.9 kg/m²) and obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m²). The first group included women with normal weight and the second included women who were overweight or obese. The results of this questionnaire demonstrate that there is a relationship between being of normal weight and efforts for personal development. The subject matter examined during the interview was as follows: a women’s age, education level, marital status, and opportunity for spare time in which they could peruse their personal interests and hobbies in order to develop themselves. These opportunities for self-improvement included knowledge and use of computers and the Internet, leisure reading habits, the frequency of TV watching and the type of programming they viewed. A relationship was sought between BMI, their personal situations and the levels of self-improvement undertaken by the women interviewed. This relationship was articulated statistically by the use of Chi-square analysis. According to the results, younger women who have a normal weight tend to be better educated and unmarried. Women in this group have more spare time, have more knowledge about computers and the Internet and are in the habit of reading when compared to older, married, overweight or obese women.

Key words: Self esteem, self confidence, rural woman, body image.