Muscle size satisfaction and predisposition for a health harmful practice in bodybuilders and recreational gymnasium users.

The aim of this study was to investigate muscle size satisfaction and predisposition to health harmful muscle gain practice in bodybuilders and recreational gymnasium users and to evaluate its relationship with sport mastery. The sample consisted of 132 men (51 bodybuilders and 81 recreational gymnasium users). The muscle size satisfaction and related variables were evaluated using a 23-item questionnaire (alpha=0.6, test-retest reliability 0.7). The difference between the actual and the desired girths of the widest site of the upper arm and the thigh was determined based on the subjects' reported data. The study showed that the majority of the gymnasium users (61.2%) wanted to gain muscle mass, but the tendency was observed that muscle size dissatisfaction, preoccupation with body shape, obligatory motivation, and obsessive attitude towards exercising depended on the sport mastery - the lower mastery predicted higher values. Entering bodybuilding competitions was associated with a 3.2-time (95% CI 1.14-9) higher muscle size dissatisfaction and a 4.8-fold increase (95% CI 1.4-16) in reported predisposition for health harmful muscle gain practice; however, being a bodybuilder was associated with 5.7-time (95% CI 1.9-17) higher predisposition for a health harmful practice. In conclusion, bodybuilders have lower muscle size satisfaction and significantly higher predisposition to health harmful muscle gain practice as compared to recreational gymnasium users. Our findings service for understanding that competitive bodybuilders are not body image homogeneous group if their sport mastery is ignored.

Body image and weight reduction attempts among adolescent girls involved in physical activity.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the current study was to examine associations between adolescent girls' body image and the character of engagement in physical activity in a representative sample of Kaunas high school girls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 405 girls (mean age 16.9+/-0.4) filled in a self-constructed questionnaire (reliability 90.3%), aimed at assessing the engagement in physical activity and weight related body image. RESULTS: Most kinds of sports emphasizing body image such as fitness, dancing, gymnastics were most popular among the irregular participants (82.7%), and among regular participant, too (62.7%). The main reason to engage in physical activity was to improve the body image (45.2%), while the health improvement motive was left out in the second place (33.6%). Satisfaction with the body shape and the overall appearance strongly depended on body mass index (BMI, kg/m2), but not on the participation or the character of participation in physical activity. Irregular participants showed more attempts to reduce weight compared to regular exercisers and nonparticipants, while both groups participating in sport reported healthier ways of weight reduction practice. CONCLUSIONS: Satisfaction with body shape and overall appearance strongly depends on body mass index, but not on the participation in physical activity. Irregular engagement in physical activity could be an indicator of more frequent attempts to reduce body weight among adolescent girls.

[Peer reputation of adolescents: sociometric status differences]. / Paaugliu reputacijos tarp bendraamziu raiska sociometrinio statuso grupese.

Successful communication with peers, positive classroom acceptance influence psychosocial health of children, while social maladjustment in childhood has emerged as high risk predictor of later delinquency and conduct problems (dropping out of school, criminality, psychopathology). Though these issues have devoted increasing attention in recent years, but still there is a lack of studies analyzing peer relation of adolescents. The primary purposes of the present study were to examine sociometric status, peer reputation and peer relations of adolescents and reveal connections between these results. Data were obtained on 502 adolescents (mean age 13+/-0.03) attending secondary schools of Kaunas city. The findings revealed peer reputation connections with status and sex groups.

[The attitude of the 11th grade school girls to their bodies and weight control]. / Vienuoliktos klases moksleiviu (merginu) poziuris i savo kuna bei svorio kontrole.

OBJECTIVE: Of the study was to detect the girls of 11th grade attitude towards their bodies and weight control. METHODS: The girls attitude towards their bodies and weight control was determined by anonymous 48-item questionnaire. The percentage of body fat (Durnin & Womersley, 1974) of each girl was estimated as well. RESULTS: Showed that a large part of the normal weight girls (58.5%) considered their weight too high. The girls with higher body fat and those who considered their weight to be too high judged their bodies and separate body parts more negative; their weight control behavior was more negative as well. The bigger difference between actual and desirable body weight was related with more negative weight control behavior and higher fear of weight gain. The attitude of the girls involved and not involved in leisure sports activities towards their bodies showed no significant difference while more dieting cases in sport involved group was determined. CONCLUSIONS: Attitude towards body weight was a higher predictor of negative weight control aspects than the actual percentage of body fat. The problem needs future examination.