Core and Catalyst Criteria Motivating CrossFit Athletes to Reveal or Conceal Their Non-Visible Health Conditions

Abstract

Despite robust literature concerning the illness disclosure decision making process, it remains unclear how individuals choose to reveal and conceal non-visible health conditions in group exercise. At the intersection of non-visible illness management and group exercise, the purpose of this study is to apply communication privacy management theory (CPM) to better understand the core and catalyst criteria athletes with non-visible health conditions utilize when determining whether to reveal or conceal their conditions in the context of the CrossFit gym. CrossFit is an international fitness program with more than 14,000 affiliate gyms in more than 155 countries. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 CrossFit athletes. Findings indicate that core criteria prompted athletes to conceal because of identity and stigma threats but reveal as a way to break the stigma and advocate for themselves and others. Catalyst criteria shaped athletes’ disclosure decisions in two ways, including concealing to avoid burdening others and revealing to foster relationships. Implications for both theory and practice are discussed.