Female Adolescent Body Image Perceptions, Physical Activity Levels, Health, and Behavioural Regulation: Age and Geographic Influences Remco Polman Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living Victoria University VU.EDU.AU/ISEAL

FITGALS: Caroline Symons, Victoria University Rochelle Eime, VicHealth Jack Harvey, University of Ballarat Melinda Craike, Deakin University Warren Payne, Victoria University Lauren Banting, Victoria University Funder: VicHealth; Sport & Recreation Victoria

Body Image in Adolescent Females 2010 National survey of 50,240 young people in Australia showed that body image was the top concern in females. This increased with age (14 y olds 28%; 15-19y 33%; %) (Mission Australia). Female adolescents in particular vulnerable to societal pressures to be thin and a toned physique. However, increase in adipose tissue around the hips, waist and buttocks, and thigh during pubertal development.

Body Image in Adolescent Females Lower levels of body satisfaction in young women predicts higher levels of unhealthy weight control behaviour and lower levels of exercise (Paxton et al., 2006) – 50-80% of women would like to be thinner – 20-60% self-reported dieting Body image dissatisfaction associated with negative health perceptions (Meland et al., 2007).

Body Image in Adolescent Females Adolescence is related to a significant decline in PA in females (up to 50%). PA of moderate intensity can improve body image in women and adolescent females (Frisen & Holmqvist, 2010). Perceived physical competence declines during early adolescence (Jacobs et al., 2002). This might be due to the physical changes resulting in greater self- consciousness and poorer performance.

Body Image in Adolescent Females A negative body image in British adolescent females is associated with less autonomous motivation for exercise (e.g. more likely to exercise to lose weight) and lower levels of PA (Markland & Ingledew, 2007). Higher levels of body satisfaction are associated with self-determined (intrinsic) motivation for exercise (Frisen & Homqvist, 2010).

Study Aims Examine body image, BMI, PA patterns, dietary behaviour, health, perceived PA competence, and PA behavioural regulation of adolescent females from two critical periods of adolescence (year 7 & year 11) and from metropolitan and rural settings.

Method Participants – 732 females from metropolitan (n = 521) and rural (n = 211) schools, aged between years (M = 13.6 years) in Victoria Australia. The metropolitan sample consisted of 366 year 7 and 155 year 11 students and the rural sample of 123 year 7 and 88 year 11 participants. – Schools involved represented all educational sectors and broad range of socio-economic status (SEIFA score M = 1011; SD = 63).

Method Measures – Body Image: 3 questions from the WHO Cross-National Survey. Do you think your body is ‘much too thing, a bit too thin, about the right size, a bit too fat, much too fat, I don’t think about it: Are you on a diet to lose weight No, because my weight is fine, No but I need to lose weight, Yes). – BMI: Self-reported weight and height (5.7% adjustment) – PA: One item from Active Australia (number of days out of the past seven that they engaged in PA for a total of one or more hours per day (low, moderate, high).

Method Measures continued – Self-reported health: SF-1 (Ware & Kosinski, 2001) – PA competence: 5-items from Athletic Identity Questionnaire (AIQ; Anderson, 2004). – PA behaviour regulation: Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2; Markland & Tobin, 2004). Questionnaire pack completed during class time

Results Geographic and Year/Age differences – Body Image: No age effects but Metropolitan females reported to be ‘a bit too thin’ and rural living females ‘a bit too fat’ more often (X 2 = 10.64; p =.03; Cramer’s V =.12). – No difference perception of appearance – Dieting behaviour: Year level difference. Year 11 girls more likely on a diet, or thought they should be on a diet than year 7 girls (X 2 = 16.95; p <.001; Cramer’s V =.15) – BMI: Younger females lower BMI than older females. Metropolitan year 7 had lower BMI than rural year 7 females (F(1,607) = 6.38; p =.01).

Results Geographic and Year/Age differences – PA level: No year differences but rural females less likely to be sedentary (13% vs. 21%) and more likely to report moderate activity levels (35.7% vs. 26.9%) (p <.01). – Health: Year 7 females more likely to report excellent health and year 11 ‘good’ or ‘fair to poor health’ (X 2 =21.1; p <.001; Cramer’s V =.17). – PA competence: No year or geographic differences. – PA behavioural regulation: No year or geographic differences.

Results Body Image – Dieting behaviour: ‘a bit too fat’ and ‘much too fat’ groups report more often that they were on a diet or should be on a diet (X 2 = 359; p <.001; Cramer’s V =.50). – Health: ‘I don’t think about it’ group most likely to report excellent health, ‘a bit too fat’ and ‘much too fat’ more likely to report ‘fair or poor’ health (X 2 = 162; p <.001; Cramer’s V =.28). – PA: ‘Much too thin’ more likely to be sedentary, ‘much too fat’ more likely to have low levels of PA and other groups more likely to be moderately active.

Discussion Year level/age differences (year 7 12y vs. year 11 16y) – BMI higher in older females as expected – Body image dissatisfaction not different (public health campaigns & school interventions ‘inspire-action-vision’ ‘Y’s Girl Project). – As predicted older females more likely to be on a diet or think they should – Older adolescent females less likely to report excellent health – No differences in PA level, competence or motivational orientation

Discussion Geographical location (metropolitan vs. rural) – Younger metropolitan females had lower BMI – Body image dissatisfaction rural more ‘bit too fat’ metropolitan ‘too thin’. – Rural females more physically active (Cancer Council & Heart Foundation, 2010). – No differences, self reported health, competence or motivational orientation.

Discussion Negative body image: – Higher BMI (western society values slimness) – More likely to engage in dieting behaviour or felt they needed to lose weight (body dissatisfaction + dieting can lead to eating disorders) – Poorer health perceptions – Lower PA levels (cross-sectional data; problematic because of benefits of regular PA) – Higher extrinsic motivation for PA (higher external regulation and introjected regulation). Females with a positive body image more likely to be intrinsically motivated to engage in PA. – Lower PA competence (excess weight, lower PA)

Conclusion/Implications Important to consider age and geographic location when examining body image and lifestyle factors among adolescent females Important to promote a positive body image, enhance females’ perceived and actual skill level, foster intrinsic motivation for PA (e.g. enjoyment rather than weight loss). Reducing barriers and increasing PA levels could result in a more positive body image, perceived PA competence, and self-determined (intrinsic motivation).

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