Self-perception of physical health conditions and its association with depression and anxiety among Bangladeshi university students

Background: Self-perception of physical health conditions is associated with depression and anxiety. Although some recent studies revealed a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among Bangladeshi university students, no study has yet investigated the link between self-perception of physical health and these common psychological disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association of self-perception of physical health conditions with depression and anxiety among university students in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between August and November 2017 among 897 undergraduate students of Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to examine the association between the variables.

Results: 13.9% of the respondents had poor self-rated health (SRH) and 49.9% had self-rated body image (SRBI) dissatisfaction. 25.6% of the students reported to be overweight/obese whereas 18.7% to be underweight. Poor and moderate SRH was found to be significantly associated with students' depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 6.700; 95% CI: 3.821-11.749 and AOR: 2.155; 95% CI: 1.582-2.934) and anxiety (AOR: 4.365; 95% CI: 2.599-7.332 and AOR: 1.776; 95% CI: 1.270-2.484). Furthermore, SRBI dissatisfaction, underweight SRBI, overweight/obese SRBI, low blood pressure and hypertension were also significantly linked with students' depression and anxiety.

Conclusion: Students dissatisfied with their physical health status had higher chances to suffer from depression and anxiety. The findings of this study would create room for further research and could be used to design a comprehensive health program for young students.