Attitudes to Body Image in Athlete and Non-Athlete Female Students

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare attitudes to body image in athlete and non-athlete female students. For this purpose, 200 athlete and non-athlete female students were randomly selected and took part in the present study. Questionnaires were distributed among volunteers and finally, 160 questionnaires were collected and used. Self-Body image was assessed using the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) included 69 items, 7 factors subscales and 3 additional subscales. Variables regarding athletes and non-athletes were compared using independent sample t test. Research findings showed that the scores of some subscales such as “Appearance Orientation” (p<0.05), “Health Evaluation” (p<0.01), “Health Orientation” (p<0.01) and “Body Areas Satisfaction” (p<0.01) in athletes were significantly higher than those of non-athletes. However, scores of fitness evaluation in non-athletes were significantly higher than athletes (p<0.01). There was no significant difference between the two groups in other subscales. Exercise training appears to improve some subscales of attitudes to body image of female athletes and it can serve as a therapeutic way to enhance the attitudes of non-athlete ones.

Keywords

• Appearance,Satisfaction with body,Exercise Training,Female Students

References

1. Anderson SL, Zager K, Hetzler RK, Nahikian-Nelms M, Syler G (1996). Comparison of Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2) scores of male bodybuilders to the male college student subgroup. International Journal of Sport Nutrition, 6(3), 255-262.
2. Babiss LA, Gangwisch JE (2009). Sports participation as a protective factor against depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents as mediated by self-esteem and social support. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 30(5), 376-384.
3. Bartlewski PP (1996). Effects of aerobic exercise on the social physique anxiety and body esteem of female college students. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 5(2), 49-62.
4. Bellino S, Zizza M, Paradiso E, Rivarossa A, Fulcheri M, Bogetto F (2006). Dysmorphic concern symptoms and personality disorders: a clinical investigation in patients seeking cosmetic surgery. Psychiatry research, 144(1), 73-78.
5. Biby EL (1998). The relationship between body dysmorphic disorder and depression, self‐esteem, somatization, and obsessive–compulsive disorder. Journal of clinical psychology, 54(4), 489-499.
6. Cash TF (2000). Multidimensional body-self relations questionnaire (MBSRQ). Norfolk, VA: Author.
7. Cash TF, Hicks KL (1990). Being fat versus thinking fat: Relationships with body image, eating behaviors, and well-being. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14(3), 327-341.
8. Cash TF, Roy RE (1999). Pounds of flesh: Weight, gender, and body images. Interpreting weight: The social management of fatness and thinness, 209-228.

9. Cash TF, Thériault J, Annis NM (2004). Body image in an interpersonal context: Adult attachment, fear of intimacy and social anxiety. Journal of social and clinical psychology, 23(1), 89-103.
10. Crocker J, Luhtanen RK, Cooper ML, Bouvrette A (2003). Contingencies of self-worth in college students: theory and measurement. Journal of personality and social psychology, 85(5), 894.
11. Crocker J, Wolfe CT (2001). Contingencies of self-worth. Psychological review, 108(3), 593.
12. Davis C, Cowles M (1989). A comparison of weight and diet concerns and personality factors among female athletes and non-athletes. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 33(5), 527-536.
13. Davis C, Cowles M (1991). Body image and exercise: A study of relationships and comparisons between physically active men and women. Sex Roles, 25(1-2), 33-44.
14. Eickhoff J, Thorland W, Ansorge C (1983). Selected physiological and psychological effects of aerobic dancing among young adult women. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 23(3), 273-280.
15. Feingold A, Mazzella R (1998). Gender differences in body image are increasing. Psychological Science, 9(3), 190-195.
16. Fisher E, Thompson JK (1994). A Comparative Evaluation of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Versus Exercise Therapy (ET) for the Treatment of Body Image Disturbance Preliminary Findings. Behavior Modification, 18(2), 171-185.
17. Fox KR, Corbin CB (1989). The physical self-perception profile: Devlopment and preliminary validation. Journal of sport and Exercise Psychology, 11(4), 408-430.
18. Fulkerson JA, Keel PK, Leon GR, Dorr T (1999). Eating‐disordered behaviors and personality characteristics of high school athletes and nonathletes. International journal of eating disorders, 26(1), 73-79.
19. Hausenblas HA, Downs DS (2001). Comparison of body image between athletes and nonathletes: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 13(3), 323-339.
20. Hausenblas HA, Mack DE (1999). Social physique anxiety and eating disorder correlates among female athletic and nonathletic populations. Journal of Sport Behavior, 22(4), 502.
21. Home RL, Van Vactor JC, Emerson S (1991). Disturbed body image in patients with eating disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148(2), 211-215.
22. Lowery SE, Kurpius SER, Befort C, Blanks EH, Sollenberger S, Nicpon MF, Huser L (2005). Body image, self-esteem, and health-related behaviors among male and female first year college students. Journal of College Student Development, 46(6), 612-623.
23. McCreary DR, Saucier DM (2009). Drive for muscularity, body comparison, and social physique anxiety in men and women. Body image, 6(1), 24-30.
24. Nye S, Cash TF (2006). Outcomes of manualized cognitive-behavioral body image therapy with eating disordered women treated in a private clinical practice. Eating disorders, 14(1), 31-40.
25. Raygan N, Shaeery M, Asghari Moghaddam M (2007). The effect of cognitive therapy-a behavioral pattern based on 8 steps to cache on negative body image of female. J Shahed Univ, 8(19), 11-22.
26. Roa VP, Overman S (1986). Psychological well-being and body image: a comparison of black women athletes and nonathletes. Journal of Sport Behavior, 9(2), 79.
27. Rodin J, Silberstein L, Striegel-Moore R (1984). Women and weight: a normative discontent. Paper presented at the Nebraska symposium on motivation.
28. Schwartz MB, Brownell KD (2004). Obesity and body image. Body image, 1(1), 43-56.
29. Sonstroem RJ (1997). The physical self-system: A mediator of exercise and self-esteem.
30. Stice E, Whitenton K (2002). Risk factors for body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls: a longitudinal investigation. Developmental psychology, 38(5), 669.
31. Strelan P, Mehaffey SJ, Tiggemann M (2003). Brief report: Self-objectification and esteem in young women: The mediating role of reasons for exercise. Sex Roles, 48(1-2), 89-95.
32. Thompson JK (1990). Body image disturbance: Assessment and treatment: Pergamon Press.
33. Tiggemann M (2004). Body image across the adult life span: Stability and change. Body image, 1(1), 29-41.
34. Tucker L (1987a). Effect of weight training on body attitudes: Who benefits most? The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 27(1), 70-78.
35. Tucker L (1987b). Mental-health and physical-fitness. Journal of Human Movement Studies, 13(6), 267-273. Veale D, Riley S (2001). Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the ugliest of them all? The psychopathology of mirror gazing in body dysmorphic disorder. Behaviour research and therapy, 39(12), 1381-1393.
36. Zarei A, Ghasemi A (2012). Comparison of Body Image in Male Disabled Athletes with both Disabled and Non-disabled Non-athletes. European Journal of Experimental Biology, 2(6), 2145-2150.
37. Zarshenas S, Karbalaee Noree A, Hosseini S (2010). The effect of aerobic exercise on women's attitudes about body image. Journal of Rehabilitation of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences University, 11, 15-20.