Body image and exercise: A study of relationships and comparisons between physically active men and women

Sex Roles ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 25 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 33-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Davis ◽  
Michael Cowles
2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alefiyah Z. Pishori ◽  
Michelle Williams ◽  
Bede Agocha ◽  
Seth J. Schwartz

Author(s):  
Rasa Jankauskienė ◽  
Brigita Miežienė

Research background and hypothesis. The analysis of factors which might infl uence exercise adherence is important issue for physical activity promotion. Studies show that exercisers’ body image is important factor associated with well being, exercise motivation and specifi c exercise–related behaviour.Research aim was is to examine the relationship between exercise adherence, body image and social physique anxiety in a sample of fi tness centre participants. Research methods. Members of fi tness centres (n = 217, 66 of them were women) provided their answers on exercise experience, in three subscales (appearance evaluation, appearance orientation and overweight preoccupation) of The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ-AS; Brown et al., 1990) and Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS; Hart et al., 1989). Mean age of the sample was 29.02 (9.85) years (range = 18–68 years).Research results. Women demonstrated higher appearance orientation, overweight preoccupation and social physique anxiety compared to men. However, we observed no signifi cant differences in appearance evaluation, appearance orientation and overweight preoccupation in the groups of different exercise experience of men and women. When overweight respondents (≥ 25 kg / m²) were excluded from the analysis, there were no statistically signifi cant differences observed in body image and social physique anxiety in exercise experience groups of men and women. Exercising longer than 6 years signifi cantly predicted overweight preoccupation [95% CI: 1.25–16.94] controlled by age and gender. Discussion and conclusions. Exercising men demonstrated more positive body image and lower social physique anxiety compared to women, except for appearance evaluation. There were observed no body image and social physique relationships with exercise adherence observed in the sample of fi tness centre participants, however, exercise experience longer than 6 years predicted overweight preoccupation.Keywords: body image concerns, exercise experience, self-presentation.


Author(s):  
April Karlinsky ◽  
Holly Howe ◽  
Melissa de Jonge ◽  
Alan Kingstone ◽  
Catherine M. Sabiston ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to explore body image correlates of voluntary consumption of physique-salient media. A secondary aim was to assess changes in affect following media consumption. Young adult men (n = 47; mean age = 20.2 years) and women (n = 87; mean age = 19.5 years) were discretely exposed to images of same-sex models with idealized- and average-physiques while completing an irrelevant computer task. Voluntary gaze at the images was covertly recorded via hidden cameras. Participants also completed measures of affect before and after the computer task. Measures of body-related envy, body appreciation, and self-perceptions of attractiveness, thinness, and physical strength were completed. Men and women did not differ in how often nor for how long they looked at the images overall, but body image variables were differentially associated with their voluntary gaze behaviors. For men, higher body-related envy and lower body appreciation were correlated with more looks at the average-physique model. Although women reported higher body-related envy than men, envy and body appreciation were not significant correlates of gaze behaviors for women. Both men and women experienced a general affective decrease over time, but only for men was the change in negative affect associated with their time spent looking at the ideal-physique image. Overall, these findings suggest that body-related envy and body appreciation influence how men choose to consume physique-salient media, and that media consumption may have negative consequences for post-exposure affect. Body image factors appear to be more strongly associated with behavior in men, perhaps because men are generally less often exposed to physique-salient media and, in particular, to average-physique images.


2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Wheaton

Surfing has consistently been framed as a youth focused, male-dominated sport and culture. Despite surfing’s ageing demographic, neither the ways in which age impacts on surfing identities and mobilities, nor older surfer’s experiences and subjectivities, has been given scholarly attention. In this paper, I discuss research exploring the experiences and identities of middle-aged and older recreational male and female surfers in the south and south-west of England. The research illustrates that participation in surfing as a sport and lifestyle remains highly significant for some men and women through middle-age and into retirement. I consider the cultural barriers and challenges in dealing with a loss in physical performance through ageing, such as adaptations to their equipment, performance, and style, and the implications for how individuals negotiate bodily capital, space and identity. Nonetheless, older surfers also embrace different ways of being a surfer which challenge some of the more exclusionary aspects of surfing identities. Theoretically the paper develops an intersectional approach to sporting identity that explicitly recognises and accounts for the contribution of age to social identity. The research also contributes to the growing literature on physically active ‘post-youth’ leisure lifestyles, illustrating how shifting definitions of ageing have given ‘rise to new expectations, priorities and understandings’ of sporting lifestyles amongst those in middle age, and beyond.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 141-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisèle A. Contreras ◽  
Catherine M. Sabiston ◽  
Erin K. O'Loughlin ◽  
Mathieu Bélanger ◽  
Jennifer O'Loughlin
Keyword(s):  

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S533-S533 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Marta-Simões ◽  
C. Ferreira ◽  
A.L. Mendes

Shame is defined as a painful affect, associated with the perception that one's personal characteristics and/or behaviours are seen by others as unattractive. Since it signals the possibility of rejection, high levels of shame associate with high psychological suffering and several psychopathological conditions, namely depression. In contrast, body appreciation is considered a set of attitudes of acceptance and affection towards one's body image, even when one is displeased with certain body characteristics, being therefore a disposition to self-soothing and care. Taking into account the association of body appreciation with healthy mental functioning, this study aimed at exploring the buffering effect of body appreciation against shame's impact on the display of depression symptoms. This hypothesis was tested through path analysis in a community sample of adult men and women. Results revealed body appreciation as a significant moderator of the association between external shame and depressive symptomatology. The tested model explained 45% of the variance of depressive symptomatology. A graphical representation allowed understanding that this moderator effect is particularly expressive in those who experience medium to high levels of shame. In these cases, men and women who present higher body appreciation tend to display fewer depression symptoms. These results seem to emphasize the importance of establishing a positive relationship with one's own body image, which appears to be protective either for men's and women's mental health. Considering its buffering effect of shame's impact on depression, upcoming interventions in this area could benefit from the assessment and cultivation of positive body image.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 404-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Krueger ◽  
Shannon David

Clinical Scenario:There are 2 approaches available for surgical repair of the Achilles tendon: open or percutaneous. However, there is controversy over which repair is superior.Focused Clinical Question:Which type of surgery is better in providing the best overall patient outcome, open or percutaneous repair, in physically active men and women with acute Achilles tendon ruptures?Summary of Search, “Best Evidence” Appraised, and Key Findings:The literature was searched for studies of level 3 evidence or higher that investigated the effectiveness of open repair versus percutaneous repair on acute Achilles tendon ruptures in physically active men and women. The literature search resulted in 3 studies for possible inclusion. All 3 good-quality studies were included.Clinical Bottom Line:There is supporting evidence to indicate that percutaneous repair is the best option for Achilles tendon surgery when it comes to the physically active population. Percutaneous repair has faster surgery times, less risk of complications, and faster recovery times over having an open repair, although it is acknowledged that every patient has a different situation and best individual option may vary patient to patient.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-160
Author(s):  
Erica N. Hutchison ◽  
Sara C. Haden ◽  
Benjamin A. Saunders ◽  
Nicole M. Cain ◽  
Alexandra B. Grundleger

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