EXERCISE AND BODY IMAGE IN COLLEGE FEMALES 822

Abstract

A considerable literature exists documenting relationships among exercise and psychosocial outcomes. Body image is one such outcome that is generally considered to be positively influenced by exercise, although the empirical literature on this topic is equivocal. In large part this equivocality has been due to subjective recall of exercise participation and the lack of a theoretical framework to guide researchers. In the context of college females, we used a self-presentational perspective in an attempt to better understand relationships between fitness, activity level, and perceptions of appearance. Seventy-four college females completed a battery of physiological(cardiovascular fitness, anthropometrics, and self-reported exercise behavior) and psychological inventories (Social Physique Anxiety, Physical Attractiveness Self-Efficacy, and Body Satisfaction). Bivariate correlations revealed that females with greater cardiovascular fitness reported less body fat (r=-.61), weight (r=-.45), and physique anxiety (r=-.26) and greater efficacy (r=.29) and body satisfaction (r=.40). Self-reported exercise frequency and duration was only related to body fat (-.25). Hierarchical regression analyses further revealed that efficacy (β=-.30) and body satisfaction (β=-.40) were the only significant predictors of physique anxiety. The results are discussed in terms of measurement and research design specifications.