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An Observational Study of Contextual Body Image in NCAA Division 1 Female Athletes

Danckers, Emily Rose
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492529811268875

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Allied Medicine.
Background: Negative body image is an issue for many athletes, especially young females, and can potentially result in poor eating, low confidence, and even decreased athletic performance. While many tools have been designed to estimate body image, there are limitations with the currently used tools. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of silhouette identification (body image) by the collegiate athlete using realistic and actual athlete silhouettes from recent iDXA scans. This tool is referred to as the BUCKiDXA. A secondary objective was to evaluate the relationship of eating attitudes and body image in female collegiate athletes as estimated by the MBSRQ, BUCKiDXA silhouette differential, CBIQA, and the EDEQ. Methods: This study created a new figural rating scale using iDXA soft tissue scans of varying BMI and fat percentages called the BUCKiDXA. Sixteen female collegiate NCAA Division 1 athletes participated in this study from various sports including field hockey, swimming, gymnastics, crew, and soccer. Each participant had received an iDXA scan between January and November 2016. Participants completed an online questionnaire that included the MBSRQ, CBIQA, and EDEQ, as well as demographic questions. Participants were then shown the BUCKiDXA, which included 18 scans of varying BMI and fat percentages as well as the actual iDXA scan of the athlete. Participants were asked two questions: first, which of these bodies looks most like you? And second, which of these bodies would you be okay with looking like? Lastly, participants were asked to rank the following body parts, in order of most to least importance, regarding what they looked at when deciding acceptable BUCKiDXA scan bodies: mid-section, legs, hips, arms, and breasts. Results: Six out of 16 participants (38%) could correctly identify their own body. According to the CBIQA, athletes felt more muscular in daily life than in their sport (p=0.001). Also, athletes felt that they had a larger morphology regarding fat, shape, and weight in sport when compared to their teammates than in daily life when compared to their peers (p=0.004). Athletes ranked mid-section and legs as most important in determining which BUCKiDXA bodies they would choose as acceptable, followed by hips, arms, and breasts. Limitation: Some limitations to this study include a small sample size and participants’ heterogeneity of sports. Conclusions: While this study had a low number of participants, there is much to learn from the findings. This research confirmed that athletes have a different body image in their daily life compared to their sport, especially regarding muscle and how they see themselves. Athletes ranked their legs and mid-section as the most important in determining which iDXA bodies they would choose as acceptable. Thirty-eight percent of athletes could identify their own iDXA scan from the BUCKiDXA. The presentation of the unique BUCKiDXA tool has potential to provide an improved way of measuring and educating athletes about body image. The BUCKiDXA should be validated with a larger population, including non-elite athletes.
Jackie Buell, PhD (Advisor)
Diane Habash, PhD (Committee Member)
Jen Carter, PhD (Committee Member)
106 p.
Nutrition
body image, athlete, collegiate, iDXA, EDEQ, MBSRQ, CBIQA

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Danckers, E. R. (2017). An Observational Study of Contextual Body Image in NCAA Division 1 Female Athletes [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492529811268875

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Danckers, Emily. An Observational Study of Contextual Body Image in NCAA Division 1 Female Athletes. 2017. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492529811268875.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Danckers, Emily. "An Observational Study of Contextual Body Image in NCAA Division 1 Female Athletes." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492529811268875

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1492529811268875
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© 2017, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License An Observational Study of Contextual Body Image in NCAA Division 1 Female Athletes by Emily Rose Danckers is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.