The Role of Body Image, Disordered Eating and Lifestyle on the Quality of Life in Lithuanian University Students.

. The present study aimed to explore the associations between body image concerns (BI), disordered eating (DE), health-related lifestyle, and the different domains of the quality of life (QoL) in a Lithuanian sample of student-aged men and women. . A mixed-gender sample of students ( = 1850, 58.8% were women, average age 21.6 ± 5.0 years) completed a series of questionnaires, including health-related lifestyles, BI, DE, and QoL. A series of simultaneous multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Mediation analyses were performed to estimate the size of the total, direct, and indirect effects of variables in the models. . The analysis of the linear regressions demonstrated that the positive trait of body areas satisfaction was associated with the significantly enhanced QoL in all domains in both genders (for men β = 0.29-0.34; for women β = 0.26-0.33; < 0.001). DE was associated with a poorer psychological QoL domain in women only (β = -0.07; = 0.047). The drive for muscularity was associated with a lower QoL in men (β = -0.06-(-0.141); < 0.05). Body areas satisfaction mediated the associations between body mass index and psychological and physical QoL in both genders (TLI (Tucker Lewis Index) = 0.975; CFI (comparative fit index) = 0.997; RMSEA (Root of the Mean Square Error) = 0.053). Positive traits of BI play essential roles in the QoL of student-aged women and men. The present study adds empirical evidence emphasizing the importance of integrating education about positive body image while implementing healthy lifestyle and QoL promotion programs in student-aged men and women.