The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of body image distortion on health behaviors practice in high school students.

This study used a secondary data analysis study with the data derived from the 2019 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. The study sample included 20,787 high school students. Collected data were analyzed with SPSS program using Rao-Scott x ² test and complex samples general linear model analysis.

The prevalence of adolescents with body image distortion was 24.5% in this study. Health behaviors practice had significant differences according to body image distortion (t=10.29, p<.001), and the score for health behaviors practice in adolescents with body image distortion was lower than those without body image distortion. Gender, grade, school type, school achievement, economic status, and perceived health state were found to be significantly related to health behaviors practice. After controlling significant variables, body image distortion (b=.14, p<.001) was significantly related to health behaviors practice in adolescents, accounting for 4.0% of the variance in health behaviors practice (Wald F=52.75, p<.001).

These findings suggest that body image distortion has negative effects on health behaviors practice and healthcare professionals need to consider enhancing body image for improvement of health behaviors practice in adolescents.