Muscle dysmorphia: detection of the use-abuse of anabolic adrogenic steroids in a Spanish sample. / Dismorfia Muscular: detección del uso-abuso de esteroides anabolizantes androgénicos en una muestra española.

Due to a distortion in the body image, the people who suffer from muscle dysmorphia have the self-perception of being less muscular than they currently are. With the aim of increasing their muscular development, they resort to the use of AAS. The purpose of the present study is to know the prevalence of the use of AAS in a Spanish sample affected by muscle dysmorphia. 562 male and 172 female bodybuilders and weightlifters were provided with different questionnaires in order to know, firstly, if they suffered from this disorder and, secondly, the percentage of the participants affected who use these substances. Decision trees and regression was applied to create explanatory models for muscle dysmorphia (R = 0.78 and R2 = 0.62). The results show that almost 50% of the participants, male and female, affected by this disorder use this kind of drugs.

Las personas que padecen Dismorfia Muscular (DM) debido a una distorsión en la imagen corporal, se perciben menos musculosas de lo que son en realidad. Para paliar este problema y con el fin de aumentar su musculatura, algunas de estas personas hacen uso de hormonas ilegales, como son los esteroides anabolizantes androgénicos (EAA), cuya función principal es aumentar la musculatura. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer la prevalencia del uso de EAA en personas afectadas por Dismorfia Muscular. La muestra de este estudio estaba compuesta de 562 hombres y 172 mujeres fisicoculturistas y levantadores de pesas, a los que se le administraron medidas antropométricas, la ecuación Fat-Free Mass Index, el cuestionario Escala de Satisfacción Muscular y el test informatizado Somatomorphic Matrix. Como resultado se crearon diferentes modelos de regresión de la DM, empleando las técnicas estadísticas de árboles de decisión (R = .78 y R2 = .62) de minería de datos. La principal conclusión es que el 50% de participantes afectados por este trastorno usa EAA.

What Do Children Think of Their Perceived and Ideal Bodies? Understandings of Body Image at Early Ages: A Mixed Study.

Research into children's body perceptions and ideals is scarce despite evidence of body dissatisfaction in childhood. This study aimed to understand preschoolers' body image by employing a mixed design. Using a novel figural scale (Preschoolers' Body Scale) that comprises four child figures ranging in BMI, 395 children ages 4-6 (54% boys) selected their perceived and ideal body and explained why they picked these bodies. Children tended to underestimate their body size and many of them desired slimmer bodies, especially girls and older participants, although body-size perception improved with age. Most children showed body satisfaction, especially boys and younger children. Ideal body choices were not always explained by beauty ideals but by physical abilities, desire to grow up, mothers' comments, and nutrition. Many responses reflected limited body awareness, suggesting body image may not yet be fully formed in preschoolers due to their incipient cognitive development.

Emotion Dysregulation as a Mediator of the Relationship between Anxiety, Compulsive Exercise and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Adolescents.

Anxiety has been suggested to be a key contributing factor for compulsive exercise, however, existing literature has demonstrated contradictory relationships between anxiety and compulsive exercise among adolescents. According to the Emotional Cascade Model (ECM), factors such as rumination and emotional suppression may mediate the association between affect and exercise. The current study therefore aimed to investigate whether rumination and emotional suppression mediate the relationship between anxiety and compulsive exercise in predicting ED symptoms in adolescents. Questionnaires assessing compulsive exercise, anxiety, depressive rumination, emotional suppression, and ED symptoms were completed by 212 adolescent males (Mage = 13.39, SD = 1.22) and 189 adolescent females (Mage = 13.64, SD = 1.29). The structural equation model showed indirect effects between anxiety and compulsive exercise through rumination and emotional suppression in males but not in females. Moreover, anxiety had an indirect effect on eating disorder symptoms through rumination, emotional suppression and compulsive exercise in both males and females. In line with ECM, the results suggest that rumination and emotional suppression may have a key role in the association between anxiety, compulsive exercise and eating disorder symptoms in adolescents. These findings suggest that compulsive exercise may be used as a dysfunctional coping mechanism to escape from a negative emotional cascade generated by the interaction of anxiety, rumination and emotional suppression. Future longitudinal studies to test the role of compulsive exercise as a dysfunctional behaviour in the ECM are needed.

Physical Fitness and Peer Relationships in Spanish Preadolescents.

Several studies have linked physical fitness (PF) with improvements in health, at a physiological and psychological level; however, there is little evidence of its relationship with health in the social field. Hence, the main aim of this study was to determine the existing relationship between PF and peer relations, as an indicator of social health in Spanish pre-teens. For that purpose, 642 participants aged 9 to 12 were chosen and given the high-priority Alpha Fitness battery in order to assess the PF, as well as the Classroom Social Experiences Query (CESC) to assess their social status. The results showed that those students with a better cardio-respiratory fitness obtained more nominations from their classmates in pro-sociality and positive status, and fewer in victimisation and negative status. Additionally, although to a lesser extent, muscular fitness was also related to a higher positive status and lower victimisation. The weight condition was also related to social behaviours, although the resulting data were differentiated by sex. While females with a standard weight stood out for their positive status, underweight males obtained worse results in positive status and fewer in negative status. These results all correspond with the aesthetic models imposed by society for females and males, respectively. These results show that PF is related to social health, which makes necessary the promotion of physical activity and the development of PF within the school environment, with attention to its relationship with the social health of the students.

Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents: Differences by Sex, BMI and Type and Organisation of Physical Activity.

The aim of this study was to assess the differences in body dissatisfaction (BD) of male and female adolescents by body max index (BMI) and the quantity, type and organisation of physical activity (PA). To do so, 652 adolescents aged 12-17 years participated in a cross-sectional study. The cognitive-affective component of BD was assessed with the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and the perceptual component with Gardner's scale for the assessment of, body image (BI). PA was measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) and the item 1 from the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A). The results show that sex and BMI are key variables when determining BD. Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was moderately associated with a greater body satisfaction in males but no association was found between BD and the participation and organisation of PA. Moreover, the results suggest that participants in aesthetic/lean PA are at a higher risk of suffering from BD than participants in other PA types. These findings provide useful information for the design of programmes promoting healthy lifestyles, weight control and BI concern during the school period.

Physical perceptions and self-concept in athletes with muscle dysmorphia symptoms.

Individuals affected by Muscle Dysmorphia (MD; body image disorder based on the sub estimation of muscle size), practice weightlifting in order to alleviate their muscular dissatisfaction. Although physical activity is associated with increased physical self-perception, we assume that this was not reproduced in full in people with MD. The study sample consisted of 734 weightlifters and bodybuilders, 562 men and 172 women, who completed the Escala de Satisfacción Muscular, the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire, and from whom measures of body fat and Fat -Free Mass Index (FFMI) were obtained. The results showed that people suffering from MD symptoms, overall, have poorer physical self-concept perceptions (F = 18.46 - 34.77, p < .01).

Validation of a Spanish version of the Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale: escala de satisfacción muscular.

The psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the muscle appearance satisfaction scale (MASS; Mayville, Williamson, White, Netemeyer, & Drab, 2002) were examined using a sample of five hundred and sixty-one male weightlifters. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested that the 19-item Spanish version of the MASS called the Escala de Satisfacción Muscular (ESM), was represented by five subscales similar to the original MASS. Internal consistency of the measure was good (α = .86-.95), and various measures of construct validity indicated that the ESM may be a useful measure of Muscle Dysmorphia symptoms among Spanish speaking populations.

Relación entre imagen corporal y autoconcepto físico en mujeres adolescentes / Relationship between body image and physical self-concept in adolescent females

El presente estudio examina las diferencias existentes entre los distintos subdominios del autoconcepto físico, en función de la insatisfacción corporal y el índice de masa corporal (IMC). Participaron 447 mujeres adolescentes españolas entre 12 y 17 años de edad, a las que se aplicó el Cuestionario de Autoconcepto Físico (CAF), el instrumento Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) y la Escala de Evaluación de la Imagen Corporal de Gardner, además de recopilarse datos antropométricos para calcular su IMC. Los resultados informan de que una mayor insatisfacción corporal y un IMC más alto se relacionan con peores percepciones físicas, especialmente en relación con el atractivo, y con un autoconcepto más devaluado. Como conclusión, se destaca la importancia de una imagen corporal saludable en la configuración del autoconcepto físico y general de la mujer adolescente.

This study examines the differences between the different subdomains of physical self-concept, based on body dissatisfaction and Body Mass Index (BMI). A sample of 447 spanish female adolescents aged 12 to 17 participated in this study, and were administered the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire (CAF), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), and Gardner's Scale for the Assessment of Body Image. Anthropometric data was collected to calculate their BMI. The results indicate that greater body dissatisfaction and higher BMI were associated with worse physical perceptions, especially in relation to appearance and a more devalued self-concept. In conclusion, the importance of a healthy body image is highlighted, as it configures the self - and general - concept in adolescent females. Further details are reported in the text.