Journal of

Background and Aim: The present world is a world of short-sectional relationships, most people identify themselves by acknowledging their appearance instead of considering their inherited or acquired different characteristics. In this study, we decided to compare the body image between patients with skin diseases and healthy participants.

Methods: In this case-control study, 300 (150 cases and 150 controls) individuals aged from 18 to 64 years were selected in the Isfahan city. Satisfaction with body image and feelings of respondents regarding their apparent looks in different situations and different conditions were investigated using an a researcher-constructed questionnaire. To analyze the collected data, we used the analysis of covariance and compared the means.

Results: Single, younger, and less educated women had body image scores higher and more positive look to their bodies. Healthy people had higher score of body image than the patients with skin diseases. There was no significant relationship between gender and body image scores.

Conclusion: Skin diseases had an important role in body image. So we suggest that the effect of other diseases, that somehow affect the appearance of people on body image, be examined deeply for each disease.