Comparación social de la apariencia en contextos de ejercicio físico como variable predictora de los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria en adolescentes de ambos sexos

Abstract

Comparación social de la apariencia en contextos de ejercicio físico como variable predictora de los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria en adolescentes de ambos sexos Social appearance comparison in exercise contexts as a predictor of eating disorder symptoms in male and female adolescents Manuel Alcaraz-IbáñezUniversidad de Almería RESUMEN: El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar la influencia de la comparación de la apariencia realizada en contextos de práctica de ejercicio físico sobre el riesgo de presencia de trastornos de la conducta alimentaria en población adolescente, considerando a su vez el posible papel moderador de diversas variables previamente asociadas con dicho desorden. Un total de 236 escolares (117 chicos y 119 chicas; M edad = 13.78, DT = 1.15) tomaron parte en el estudio. Aplicando una técnica de bootstrapping, se realizaron diversos análisis de regresión y moderación empleando el macro PROCESS para SPSS. Los resultados mostraron que, tras controlar los efectos del sexo, la edad, el índice de masa corporal, y la insatisfacción corporal, la comparación de la apariencia realizada al practicar ejercicio físico se asociaba de forma positiva y estadísticamente significativa con la presencia de síntomas propios de los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria tanto en chicos como en chicas. Los resultados del análisis de moderación mostraron que la percepción de insatisfacción corporal intensificaba dicha relación, contribuyendo de forma estadísticamente significativa a explicar un 4% adicional de varianza en el modelo. Las evidencias obtenidas sugieren que la comparación de la apariencia realizada en contextos de práctica de ejercicio físico es un elemento que debería ser considerado a la hora de diseñar programas destinados a la prevención de la aparición de trastornos de la conducta alimentaria en población adolescente de ambos sexos. A la luz de estos resultados, tanto profesores de Educación Física como monitores y entrenadores deportivos que trabajen con población adolescente deberían tratar de evitar en su práctica profesional situaciones que pudiesen promover o facilitar la comparación de la apariencia física por parte de sus pupilos. Palabras clave: trastornos de la conducta alimentaria, adolescentes, ejercicio físico, comparación social, educación física, imagen corporal. ABSTRACT:This study aims to investigate the influence of appearance social comparison made in exercise contexts on the risk of developing an eating disorder in adolescent population taking as well into consideration the potential moderating role of several variables previously associated with this disorder. A total of 236 students (117 boys and 119 girls; M age = 13.78, DT = 1.15) participated in this study. Bootstrapping regression and moderation analyses using the PROCESS macro for SPSS were performed. Results showed that, after controlling for the effects of sex, age, body mass index, and body dissatisfaction, social appearance comparison was positively and statistically significantly associated with the presence ...

Social and Individual Factors Associated with Eating Disorders in Young Athletes: Effects on Concentration and Fatigue

“…In our case, fatigue and the risk of developing ED are not related to the hours of sports practice, unlike previous studies where the time spent in sports practice is positively related to the risk of developing ED [ 45 , 49 , 50 ]. This particularity can be explained by the fact that, due to its competitive approach, trainers control the exercise practice of our population.…”

Examining the role of social physique anxiety on the relationship between physical appearance comparisons and disordered eating symptoms among Spanish emerging adults

“…According to the tenets of cognitive‐behavioral models of body image, DE may emerge as a maladaptive strategy to cope with negative body‐related cognitions and affects (Cash, 2012). In support of these theoretical proposals, empirical evidence has been found associating body‐related cognitive processes such as physical appearance comparison (PAC) to DE (Alcaraz‐Ibáñez, 2017; Alcaraz‐Ibáñez, Sicilia, Díez‐Fernández & Paterna, 2020; Fitzsimmons‐Craft, Harney, Brownstone, Higgins & Bardone‐Cone, 2012; Walker, Thornton, De Choudhury, Teevan, Bulik, Levinson & Zerwas, 2015). Similarly, a body‐related affective experience such as social physique anxiety (SPA; i.e., the distressed feelings experienced as a result of believing that the own body could be negatively evaluated by others; Hart, Leary & Rejeski, 1989) has been also consistently associated with DE (Alcaraz‐Ibáñez & Sicilia, 2020; Alcaraz‐Ibáñez et al ., 2020; Fitzsimmons‐Craft, Harney et al, 2012; Lanfranchi, Maïano, Morin & Therme, 2015).…”

“…On the basis of the results of previous studies (Alcaraz‐Ibáñez et al ., 2020; Fitzsimmons‐Craft, Harney et al, 2012), it was hypothesized that both PAC and SPA would be positively related to DE symptoms. In addition, the hypothesized relationships were expected to emerge after controlling for several variables of relevance in terms of eating disorders' aetiology such as sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) (Alcaraz‐Ibáñez, 2017; Alcaraz‐Ibáñez et al ., 2020; Ferreiro, Seoane & Senra, 2012; Walker et al ., 2015). In view of evidence suggesting that eating pathology may act as mechanism that reduces negative mood that characterizes depression, the effect of depressive symptoms was also controlled for (Puccio, Fuller‐Tyszkiewicz, Ong & Krug, 2016).…”

The Theory of Social Comparison and the Body Positive in Female Consumers of Underwear in Instagram

“…The theory of social comparison developed by Leon Festinger [19], poses the existence of an innate human impulse to compare characteristics or attributes with their peers [20] to determine self-value [16]. There are three types of social comparison: upward, downward, and lateral [18].…”

“…Women generally make upward social comparisons [20,24], focusing on the physical appearance of more attractive people [23], feeling below standards of beauty [16] and generating a feeling of body dissatisfaction [24]. At this point, body positive promotes self-love and acceptance of the body [4] to confront unrealistic ideas of beauty that the media traditionally perpetuate and reinforce [3], emphasizing the inclusiveness of bodies of all shapes and sizes [2], to generate a more positive attitude in women regarding their physical appearance [1].…”