the relationship of body image and self-esteem with marital adjustment: a study on female employees of kerman university of medical sciences in 2012-2013

background: body image reflects how a person thinks and feels about his/her own body. negative body image results in low self-esteem and depression. the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship of body image and self-esteem with marital adjustment among female married employees of kerman university of medical sciences. methods: this cross-sectional study was performed on 380 female married employees of kerman university of medical sciences in 2013. data gathering was performed through a questionnaire including demographic features as well as items related to body image, self-esteem and marital adaptation. the reliability and validity of the questionnaire had been confirmed. data analysis was done using linear regression model and through spss 20 software package. results: the age of majority of participants (85%) was more than 25 years and most subjects (65%) had bachelor or higher educational degrees. marital adjustment showed significant relationship with body image (β= 0.23, p= 0.001) and self-esteem (β=0.65, p=0.001). self –esteem was a stronger predictor of marital adjustment than body image. conclusion: according to the obtained results, women’s body image and self-esteem have essential roles on marital adjustment. therefore, it should be considered by policy-makers and family counselors.