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Jason M. Wallace, MPH, Carolyn E. Barlow, MS, and James B. Kampert, PhD. Centers for Integrated Health Research, The Cooper Institute, 12330 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75230, 972-341-3253, jwallace@cooperinst.org
There is little literature regarding the relation of body image satisfaction and the maintenance of physical activity. The purpose of this report was to examine whether changes in body image satisfaction after a lifestyle physical activity program would predict long-term maintenance of physical activity. Project PRIME was a randomized controlled trial designed to compare lifestyle interventions to increase physical activity in sedentary adults. Participants were overweight but healthy men (51%) and women (49%) aged 35-75 years at baseline, including 62% Caucasian, 19% Latino, and 17% African-American. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire at baseline and 24 months. Body image satisfaction was inventoried yielding an overall body image score and three subscales: Drive for Thinness, Female Body Dissatisfaction (FBD), and Male Body Dissatisfaction (MBD). Maintenance of physical activity at 24 months was reported as the percentage of prior weeks a participant was regularly physically active at a moderate intensity. Logistic regression models adjusted for cohort, ethnicity, baseline body image values, and baseline body mass index were used to examine the association between change in body image and physical activity maintenance among men and women separately. Among men (n=127), change in overall body image satisfaction did not predict physical activity maintenance (P=0.43) nor did change in MBD (P=0.69). An improvement in overall body image satisfaction (p=0.02) and decrease in FBD (p=0.02) did predict physical activity maintenance in women (n=136). These results suggest increasing body image satisfaction in women may play a role in the long-term maintenance of physical activity.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Physical Activity, Women
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.