This research compared the scores on the three subscales of the Body Esteem Scale of 67 female intercollegiate athletes from various sports, and 57 female nonathlete college students enrolled in regular college classes. Analysis indicated no significant differences between the groups on the Sexual Attractiveness and Weight Concern subscales, but only on the Physical Condition subscale, with athletes reporting higher scores and more positive perceptions of body esteem than nonathletes.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BrylinskyJ. (1990) Concerns and education regarding issues of weight control and female athletes: Body image and female athletes. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance National Conference, New Orleans, LA, March.
2.
DavisC. (1992) Body image, dieting behaviors, and personality factors: A study of high performance female athletes. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 23, 179–192.
3.
DiNucciJ. M.FinkenbergM. E.McCuneS. L.McCuneE. D.MayoT. (1994) Analysis of body esteem of female collegiate athletes. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 78, 315–319.
4.
FinkenbergM. E.DiNucciJ. M.McCuneS. L.McCuneE. D. (1993) Body esteem and enrollment in classes with different levels of physical activity. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 76, 783–792.
5.
FinkenbergM. E.DiNucciJ. M.McCuneS. L.McCuneE. D. (1994) Personal incentives for exercise and body esteem: A canonical correlation analysis. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 34, 398–402.
6.
FranzoiS. L.ShieldsS. A. (1984) The Body Esteem Scale: Multidimensional structure and sex differences in a college population. Journal of Personality Assessment, 48, 173–178.
7.
HarrisM.GrecoD. (1990) Weight control and weight concerns in competitive female gymnasts. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12, 427–433.
8.
ImmP.PruittJ. (1991) Body shape satisfaction in female exercisers and nonexercisers. Women and Health, 17, 87–96.
9.
KowalskiN.CrockerP. (1999) Dietary restraint in young women: Relationships with physical self-perceptions, social physique anxiety, and physical activity. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology National Conference, Banff, Alberta, Canada, September.
10.
MoodeF. M.WigginsM. S. (1999) An analysis of the body esteem of female high school and college athletes. KAHPERD Journal, 35, 19–21.
11.
PetrieT. A.StoeverS. (1993) The incidence of bulimia nervosa and pathogenic weight control behaviors in female collegiate gymnastics. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 64, 238–241.
12.
SkrinarG. S.BullenB. A.CheekJ. M.McArthurJ. W.VaughanL. K., (1986) Effects of endurance training on body-consciousness in women. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 62, 483–490.
