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EXPLORING BODY IMAGE DISSATISFACTION IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETES
Title
EXPLORING BODY IMAGE DISSATISFACTION IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETES
Creator
Perelman, Hayley
Date
2017, 2017-07
Description
Research on body dissatisfaction in college athletes is largely mixed regarding its prevalence and occurrence. Most of the current literature...
Show moreResearch on body dissatisfaction in college athletes is largely mixed regarding its prevalence and occurrence. Most of the current literature indicates that athletes in lean-promoting sports, regardless of sex, experience greater body dissatisfaction than athletes in non-lean-promoting sports. Division I athletes as compared to Division III athletes report significantly more body dissatisfaction. This study sought to further investigate group differences between sport type, sex, and division level for the following constructs: body dissatisfaction, sport competitiveness, mindfulness, perfectionism, self-esteem, and sport confidence. A sample of 191 males and females completed self-report questionnaires. A series of six 2x2x2 factorial analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine the data: sex (males vs. females), sport type (lean-promoting and non-lean-promoting), and division level (Division I vs. Division III). Results revealed a significant main effect for sex and body dissatisfaction, such that females reported high levels of body dissatisfaction regardless of division level and sport type. A significant interaction (sex vs. sport type) for body dissatisfaction was also found, indicating that males in lean-promoting sports reported greater body dissatisfaction than males in non-lean-promoting sports. Body dissatisfaction did not differ significantly by division level, but Division I as compared to Division III athletes reported significantly greater sport competitiveness, trait mindfulness, self-esteem, and sport confidence. As body dissatisfaction is related to disordered eating, future research should aim to examine the longitudinal trajectory of body dissatisfaction in college athletes and how it relates to the development of eating disorders.
M.S. in Psychology, July 2017
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Decreasing Body Dissatisfaction in Male College Athletes: A Pilot Study of the Male Athlete Body Project
Title
Decreasing Body Dissatisfaction in Male College Athletes: A Pilot Study of the Male Athlete Body Project
Creator
Perelman, Hayley
Date
2020
Description
Body dissatisfaction is associated with marked distress and often precipitates disordered eating symptomology. Body dissatisfaction in male...
Show moreBody dissatisfaction is associated with marked distress and often precipitates disordered eating symptomology. Body dissatisfaction in male athletes is an important area to explore, as research in this field often focuses on eating disorders in female athletes. The current body of literature regarding male college athletes suggests that they experience pressures associated with both societal muscular ideals and sport performance. While there is a clear association between drive for muscularity and body dissatisfaction in college male athletes, no study to date has evaluated the efficacy of a body dissatisfaction intervention for this population. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of a pilot intervention program that targeted body dissatisfaction in male college athletes. Participants were randomized into an adapted version of the Female Athlete Body Project (i.e., the Male Athlete Body Project) or an assessment-only control condition. A total of 79 male college athletes (39 in treatment condition) completed this study for a retention rate of 84.9%. Participants in the experimental group attended three 80-minute group sessions once a week for three weeks. All participants completed measures of body dissatisfaction, internalization of the body ideal, drive for muscularity, negative affect, and sport confidence at three time points: baseline, post-treatment (three weeks after baseline for the control condition), and one-month follow-up. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to assess differences between conditions across time. Participation in the MABP improved men’s satisfaction with specific body parts, drive for muscularity, and body-ideal internalization at post-treatment. Men in the MABP also reported improvements in appearance evaluation and overweight preoccupation at post-treatment and one-month follow-up, and in negative affect at one-month follow-up only. Improvements in drive for muscularity were retained at one-month follow-up. This study provides preliminary evidence for the feasibility and efficacy of the Male Athlete Body Project.
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