A psychosocial investigation of exercise preferences in real and virtual environments.

Three studies explored exercise preferences in real-world and virtual environments, and their relationship with social physique anxiety (SPA), social comparison, and self-presentational efficacy (SPE). In Study 1 (N = 230), real-world exercise preferences were explored. Study 2 (N = 228) measured preferences for real-world and virtual reality (VR) exercise, and Study 3 (N = 249) investigated preferences for avatar embodiment and virtual companions within VR. Results revealed that participants who preferred home-based exercise had lower exercise behaviour, more negative fitness-related social comparisons, or lower SPE expectancy and outcome value (Study 1). Individuals with lower exercise behaviour, more negative fitness-related social comparisons, lower SPE expectancy, or higher SPA were also more likely to choose VR than real-world exercise (Study 2). In a VR exercise setting, participants with higher SPA and more negative social comparisons also preferred to embody a non-human and fantasy avatar more than a realistic avatar. A heightened threat of negative social comparison when imagining exercise with a physically superior virtual companion resulted in the strongest preference to embody a fantasy avatar (Study 3). The results suggest that individuals who place high importance on self-presentation and have low belief in their capacity to project an image of competence to others, are more likely to prefer exercise contexts that minimise physique- and fitness-related evaluation. Moreover, VR may afford a less psychosocially threatening context for individuals who feel self-conscious or comparatively inferior to others during exercise.

A model linking digital media dependence, exercise empowerment, and social physique anxiety among emerging adulthood college students.

Background/objective: Social physique anxiety (SPA) is a prevalent psychological issue among emerging adults, regardless of gender. Many studies have shown that high levels of SPA are associated with various negative consequences on both physical and mental well-being. Considering the potential severity of SPA's consequences and its high prevalence among emerging adults, it is imperative to investigate the factors and mechanisms that contribute to SPA in this population. Although prior studies have identified associations between emerging adulthood, digital media use, and SPA in young individuals, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The objective of this study is to examine the associations between SPA, emerging adulthood characteristics, digital media dependency, and exercise empowerment. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Chinese college students were recruited using snowball sampling. The study utilized an online survey to assess SPA, emerging adulthood characteristics, digital media dependency, and exercise empowerment. The collected data was analyzed using path analysis. Results: A total of 1,661 Chinese college students (mean age = 19.63 ± 0.32 years, 44.97% male) were included in this study. The results showed that SPA exhibited positive correlations with responsibility and instability in emerging adulthood characteristics, digital media dependency, and exercise empowerment. Additionally, digital media dependency showed positive correlations with responsibility and instability, as well as with exercise empowerment. Furthermore, exercise empowerment demonstrated positive correlations with self-exploration, responsibility, instability, and possibilities in emerging adulthood characteristics. SPA can be directly influenced by digital media dependency, self-exploration, and instability. Furthermore, digital media dependency has a positive indirect impact on SPA through exercise empowerment. Similarly, self-exploration also has a positive indirect impact on SPA through exercise empowerment. On the other hand, instability has a negative indirect impact on SPA through exercise empowerment. Conclusion: This study provides new insights into the complex correlations with emerging adulthood characteristics, digital media dependency, exercise empowerment, and SPA. Instability, self-exploration in emerging adulthood characteristics, as well as digital media dependency, have the potential to influence SPA among college students through exercise empowerment Interventions and strategies aimed at addressing these psychological factors may prove beneficial in reducing SPA among emerging adults, especially college students.

Validation of a Virtual Environment to Induce State Social Physique Anxiety in Women with Obesity and Social Physique Anxiety.

State Social Physique Anxiety (SPA), in contrast to Trait SPA, is triggered by specific situations that elicit SPA. To date, no research has used virtual reality (VR) to recreate a situation that may elicit State SPA. The purpose of this study is to validate a virtual environment (VE) that simulates an anxiogenic situation to induce State SPA in women with obesity and high SPA. The high SPA group consisted of 25 self-identified women living with obesity and high Trait SPA. The low SPA group consisted of 20 self-identified women with low SPA. All participants were immersed in a virtual swimming pool environment for 10 min using a virtual reality headset. After the immersion, State SPA and fear of being negatively judged felt during immersion were measured with self-report questionnaires. A questionnaire assessing unwanted negative side effects was administered before and after the immersion. Using an ANCOVA with Trait SPA as covariate, State SPA was found to be significantly higher in the high SPA group. Fear of being judged negatively was also significantly higher in the high SPA group. Unwanted negative side effects scores did not increase post-immersion in either group. This study documents the validity of a novel VE for inducing State SPA in women with obesity and high SPA.

An investigation of relationships between body compassion, social physique anxiety and physical appearance perfectionism in young people from Iran.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that physical appearance perfectionism could play an important role in social physique anxiety; however, the moderating role of body compassion has not been studied. The current study aims to explore the moderating role of body compassion in the relationship between physical appearance perfectionism and social physique anxiety in undergraduate students. METHODS: A sample of 418 undergraduates (n = 418; 217 female and 201 males) from three universities in Tehran, Iran completed online questionnaires measuring physical appearance perfectionism, body compassion and social physique anxiety. RESULTS: The results of structural equation modeling showed that physical appearance perfectionism (ß = 0.68, p < 0.001) positively predicted the social physique anxiety and body compassion negatively predicted (ß = - .56, p < 0.001) the social physique anxiety in undergraduate students. A multi-group analysis showed that body compassion acted as a moderator between physical appearance perfectionism and social physique anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that individuals with greater levels of physical appearance perfectionism are more likely to experience social physique anxiety. Also, the results suggested that individuals who were at a high level of the body-compassion group experienced lower levels of social physical anxiety if they also had high levels of physical appearance perfectionism. Therefore, body-compassion acted as a protective role in the relationship between physical appearance perfectionism and social physique anxiety.

Anxiety over one's physical appearance in social situations is known as social physique anxiety. One of the variables that plays an important role social physique anxiety is physical appearance perfectionism. General perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, the symptoms of eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia and obsessive exercise are all linked to physical appearance perfectionism. The results of the current study showed individuals with high levels of physical appearance perfectionism are more likely to experience social physique anxiety. In the current study, we tested the moderating role of self-compassion in the relationship between physical appearance perfectionism and social physique anxiety. Body compassion is characterized by diffusion, common humanity, and acceptance of one's own body as opposed to being judgmental, critical, isolated, and over-identifying with unpleasant experiences and emotions. The findings showed in the group with high body- compassion, the relationship between physical appearance perfectionism and social physique anxiety was not significant, which means that body-compassion played a buffering role in this relationship.

Body Image, Social Physique Anxiety Levels and Self-Esteem among Adults Participating in Physical Activity Programs.

(1) Background: individuals may benefit from being involved in physical and athletic activities in order to improve their body appearance and promote their physical and mental health. This study aimed to investigate body image, body mass index (BMI) characteristics, social physique anxiety, self-esteem and possible correlations between the above factors. (2) Methods: 245 adults engaged in training programs in gyms, as well as in track and field, football and basketball athletic activities completed (a) a sociodemographic questionnaire which recorded their BMI values and utilized the (b) Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults, (c) the Social Physique Anxiety Scale and (d) the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. (3) Results: Females and individuals with higher BMI reported statistically significant lower body-esteem and greater social physique anxiety levels compared to males and individuals with lower BMI, respectively (p < 0.05). A total of 25.3% of our participants were labeled as "overweight", while 20.4% had been overweight in the past. Significant differences were reported between body-esteem and social physique anxiety levels (p < 0.001); age (p = 0.001); BMI value (p < 0.001) and never having a problem with body weight (p = 0.008). Additionally, individuals with lower body-esteem and greater social physique anxiety levels presented lower global self-esteem (p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: individuals' engagement in physical activity promotes physical as well as mental well-being, contributing to an improved quality of life, which may be the most important issue for health care professionals.

My Exposed Body: Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale-7 among Women.

BACKGROUND: Social Physique Anxiety (SPA) is the anxiety resulting from the prospect or presence of the interpersonal evaluation of one's physique. It is a construct related to body image and body esteem. The Social Physique Anxiety Scale-7 (SPAS-7) is a self-report scale aimed at measuring the degree of anxiety that people experience when others evaluate their physique. METHODS: This study aimed to investigate the factor structure (through Confirmatory Factor Analysis followed by multi-group confirmatory factorial analyses), reliability, and convergent validity of an Italian version of the SPAS-7 among a sample of women (N = 520; mean age = 33.5, SD = 10.5). RESULTS: Confirmatory Factor Analysis attested the unidimensional factorial structure of the SPAS-7, which achieved full invariance across age groups. The strength of the inter-relationships between the SPAS-7 and measures of negative (i.e., body dissatisfaction) and positive body image (i.e., body appreciation and body compassion) provided evidence of good convergent validity. The Cronbach's alpha was very good. CONCLUSION: According to our results, the Italian version of the SPAS-7 could be a valid and agile instrument for assessing self-presentational concerns associated with body image among Italian-speaking women across age.

Unexcused absence from physical education in elementary school. On the role of autonomous motivation and body image factors.

Physical education (PE) is an essential school subject due to its potential to promote well-being and health in all children. Yet, PE stands out among other subjects in terms of truancy. This study is one of the first to examine if unexcused absence from PE is associated with early adolescents' body image and autonomous motivation towards PE. A total of 526 Swedish 6th graders (Mage = 12.28, SD = 0.31) reported the frequency of unexcused absence from PE and answered questions about aesthetic and functional body image, social physique anxiety, and autonomous motivation. Findings showed that unexcused absence from PE was associated with less autonomous motivation and higher social physique anxiety. Participants who had never been absent reported higher functional body image investment and satisfaction. Analyses showed that whereas the aesthetic aspects of body image were associated with decreased autonomous motivation toward PE, functional aspects predicted higher autonomous motivation. The study sheds novel light on the links between absence from PE, body image, and autonomous motivation. As absence may have real-life practical effects for school achievement, health, and well-being, the findings demonstrate the importance of mitigating social physique anxiety and promoting an inclusive and body positive PE context early on.

"What If Others Think I Look Like " The Moderating Role of Social Physique Anxiety and Sex in the Relationship between Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction in Swiss Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity has been shown to have a positive effect on life satisfaction in adolescents. Despite these benefits, physical activity levels constantly drop during adolescence, suggesting potential interfering factors in this link. Since worries about physical appearance are an important issue at this age, this study aims to examine the relationship between physical activity and life satisfaction in adolescents and explores possible moderating effects of social physique anxiety and sex. METHODS: We used data from a longitudinal study with N = 864 vocational students (mean age = 17.87 years, range: 16-25, 43% female) from Switzerland. To test our hypotheses, we used multiple hierarchical regression analyses as well as simple slope analyses. RESULTS: We did not find a significant direct effect of physical activity on life satisfaction. However, we found a significant two-way interaction between physical activity and social physique anxiety. An additional significant three-way interaction occurred, indicating that a positive effect of physical activity on life satisfaction holds only for female adolescents with low social physique anxiety levels. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of developing a healthy relationship with one's body to fully benefit from physical activity, especially for female adolescents. Taken together, these results reveal important considerations for physical activity educators.

Exercise Identity and Its Relation to Self-Presentation Concerns in Males and Females.

Purpose: It has been determined that exercise identity is a key component of the self-concept and is a strong determinant of exercise behaviors. The purpose of the present study was to examine exercise identity's relationship with three key self-presentational variables: self-presentational efficacy, social physique anxiety, and impression motivation. Methods: We looked at how exercise identity contributed uniquely to predicting exercise behavior over and above these self-presentational concerns for both males 10 (n = 140) and females (n = 234) recruited from two university communities. Participant's age ranged from 18-68 years, the majority identified as students, and as Caucasian. Results: The analyses demonstrated that exercise identity was positively correlated with self-presentational efficacy and unrelated to social physique anxiety in both genders. Further analyses revealed that exercise identity contributes a significant amount of variance toward exercise behavior over and above what is accounted for by self-presentational efficacy, social physique anxiety, and impression motivation. Lastly, exercise identity did not moderate the social physique anxiety-exercise relationship in either gender. Conclusion: These findings advance our knowledge of exercise identity and its relationship with various important constructs has been determined that exercise identity is a key component of the self-concept and is a strong determinant of exercise behaviors.

How the physical appearance of companions affects females with high or low social physique anxiety: a virtual reality exercise study.

Technologies such as virtual reality (VR), an immersive computer-based environment that induces a feeling of mental and physical presence, are becoming increasingly popular for promoting participation in exercise. The purpose of this study was to explore changes in motivation and other psychological states when the physique of an exercise companion was altered during a VR-based exercise task, and whether trait social physique anxiety (SPA) altered these effects. Using a mixed experimental design, female participants (N = 43) categorised as high or low in SPA participated in two counterbalanced 10-min running tasks within a VR environment where the exercise companion was either overweight or in-shape. Across both running tasks, individuals with high SPA reported higher negative affect, pressure and tension, and lower perceived competencies, than those with low SPA. Pressure and tension were also higher when exercising with an in-shape companion than with an overweight companion for all participants. In addition, participants with high SPA reported a stronger preference to exercise with an overweight companion than those with low SPA in a real exercise setting, but not in a VR setting. The findings suggest that the physique of an exercise companion and the SPA of an exerciser have important, but independent, psychosocial effects during exercise. That an in-shape physique of a virtual exercise companion was not a deterrent among those with high SPA has provided preliminary evidence that VR-based exercise may be helpful among females who worry about their appearance or feel self-conscious while exercising.

Study on the mediator role of self-esteem in the relationship between female self-objectification and social physique anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Women's perception of body image plays an important role in their psychological health; self-objectification and social physique anxiety can affect self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the mediator of self-esteem in the relationship between self-objectification and social physique anxiety in female students at Hakim Sabzevari University in Sabzevar. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The method of this descriptive research is correlational. The statistical population of this study is all the female students of Sabzevar, Department of Humanities. Using Morgan's table, 291 subjects were selected as a sample. To collect data, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Questionnaire, McKinley and Hyde's Self-Objectification Questionnaire, and Hart et al., Social Physique Anxiety Questionnaire were used. After filling out the questionnaires, the data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24 and descriptive indexes were used. Also, for correlation, to test the research question, a suitable statistical test such as hierarchical regression was used. RESULTS: The results of the analysis of statistical data showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between self-objectification and self-esteem. Also, there is a significant positive correlation between this variable and social physique anxiety. Also, using hierarchical regression, the role of mediating self-esteem was confirmed in the relationship between self-objectification and social physique anxiety. CONCLUSION: Those who have a high score in self-objectification think of themselves as an object and are always concerned about evaluating others based on their body image, so if their body image is not approved by others, they will have a negative assessment of themselves that causes a decrease in their self-esteem followed by an increase in the social anxiety of the organs.

Prospective study of beginner running groups: psychological predictors and outcomes of participation.

Running is an example of vigorous activity that leads to important health benefits if maintained. Beginner running groups provide supportive training programs to help people progress from walking to sustained running. This study explored the characteristics of individuals joining beginner running groups and the outcomes they achieve. New members of beginner running groups (n = 141; mean age 43 years, 122 female) completed online assessments at the start of their group program with 63 participants (45%) also completing a follow-up assessment at the end of the program. Validated scales were used to assess exercise behavior, mental wellbeing, self-efficacy, running identity and social physique anxiety. The majority of participants had low exercise levels at the start of the program (63%, n = 89). By the program end, 47 participants (75% of those completing the follow-up assessment) reported meeting the training goal (running for 30 minutes continuously) with self-efficacy, program adherence and younger age representing significant predictors of success. Significant improvements in exercise levels, mental wellbeing, self-efficacy, running identity and social physique anxiety were observed by the end of the program. In conclusion, beginner running programs attract low active individuals and may lead to improved levels of exercise and psychological outcomes. Additional research is needed to examine the extent to which improvements are sustained longer term.

Media Internalized Pressure and Restrained Eating Behavior in College Students: The Multiple Mediating Effects of Body Esteem and Social Physique Anxiety.

Background: Restrained eating behavior has become the norm in college students' lives, and considering the harm it causes to college students, it is necessary to explore the factors associated with it. The aim of this study was to explore the association between media internalized pressure, body esteem, social physique anxiety, and restrained eating behavior. Methods: The participants in this study were 1,032 Chinese college students (439 males and 593 females) and had a mean age of 20.22 years (SD = 1.277). They completed the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire-3, Body Esteem Scale (BES), Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS), and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). Results: The results showed that media internalized pressure was significantly and positively associated with college students' restrained eating behavior, that body esteem and social physique anxiety played a mediating role between media internalized pressure and restrained eating behavior, respectively, and that body esteem and social physique anxiety can also play a chained mediating role. Conclusion: This study reveals the relationship between media internalized pressure and restrained eating behavior, and the important role played by body esteem and social physique anxiety. Future interventions targeting restrained eating should focus on the aspects of body esteem and social physique anxiety.

Investigating method effects associated with the wording direction of items of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale.

PURPOSE: The use of psychometric instruments to measure latent concepts is common. The development of these instruments usually involves mechanisms to reduce response bias, such as the inclusion of reversed items. The aim of this study was to investigate method effects related to the wording direction of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) items, a one-dimensional instrument that assesses individual's level of anxiety when others observe their body. METHODS: In total, 152 Brazilian adults (65.8% female) answered 2 formats of the SPAS: the original with 12 items (7 regular and 5 reversed); and a new format with all items written in the same direction (i.e., regular). Both formats were filled out at different times and alternately. Differential item functioning analysis (DIF) and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted. RESULTS: The original SPAS did not fit the data, but after allowing covariances between all reversed items, the fit improved. The wording effect was supported by the DIF, indicating a better fit to the data for the new format with all items worded in the same direction. CONCLUSION: The wording of the SPAS items had effect on the psychometric properties of instrument. When the wording of the reversed items was modified, the factor model fitted the data. Future studies should take these findings into account and evaluate the SPAS with all items worded in the same direction in different contexts. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Descriptive (cross-sectional) study, Level V.

Appearance Orientation and Dating Anxiety in Emerging Adults: Considering the Roles of Appearance-Based Rejection Sensitivity, Social Physique Anxiety, and Self-Compassion.

Emerging research has suggested that appearance-related factors, such as greater appearance orientation, are associated with dating anxiety in emerging adults, but much more could be done to understand mechanistic pathways and potential buffers. Here, we tested a moderated mediation model in which appearance-based rejection sensitivity and social physique anxiety were explored as mediators, and self-compassion was explored as a moderator, of the relationship between appearance orientation and dating anxiety. A total of 501 heterosexual emerging adults (248 women, 253 men) from the UK completed instruments measuring the aforementioned constructs. Relationships among all variables were largely similar across women and men, with only the association between social physique anxiety and appearance-based rejection sensitivity being significantly stronger in women. Mediation analysis in the total sample indicated that both social physique anxiety and appearance-based rejection anxiety were significant mediators. Additionally, we confirmed a serial mediation involving appearance orientation → appearance-based rejection sensitivity → social physique anxiety → dating anxiety. Conversely, self-compassion did not moderate the effects of either social physique anxiety or appearance-based rejection sensitivity on dating anxiety, although greater self-compassion was moderately associated lower dating anxiety. We suggest ways in which existing interventions aimed at reducing dating anxiety could be combined with body image interventions to reduce dating anxiety in heterosocial contexts.

Sport Participation in Early and Middle Adolescence: The Interplay Between Self-Perception and Psychobiosocial Experiences in Predicting Burnout Symptoms.

Adolescence is characterized by pubertal physical changes, cognitive development, and modified social expectations. Adolescent athletes often enter a more challenging stage of athletic development associated with increased specialization, and become vulnerable to feelings of burnout. It is therefore important to consider intrapersonal psychological factors that can improve sport participation experiences and prevent burnout. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to examine the interplay between self-perceptions and emotion-related (i.e., psychobiosocial) experiences (e.g., feeling confident, focused, determined, physically charged, and skillful) in predicting burnout symptoms in adolescents. A sample of 12-14-year-olds (n = 338, 176 girls and 162 boys; Mage = 13.42, SD = 1.12) and 15-17-year-olds (n = 302, 142 girls and 160 boys; Mage = 15.78, SD = 1.17), participating in individual or team sports, were involved in a cross-sectional study to assess positive and negative self-perceptions, functional and dysfunctional psychobiosocial experiences, and burnout symptoms (i.e., emotional and physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, sport devaluation). Path analysis results suggest that higher scores on global physical self-perception, self-esteem, and sport competence were associated with lower burnout symptoms, while higher scores on social physique anxiety were associated with higher scores on sport devaluation. Moreover, self-esteem and sport competence were shown to have significant indirect effects on burnout dimensions via functional psychobiosocial experiences. Differences by gender (p < 0.001) and by age category (p < 0.001) in the variable scores were also found. Compared to girls, boys reported higher scores on competence, functional psychobiosocial experiences, global physical self-perception, self-esteem, emotional and physical exhaustion, and lower scores on social physique anxiety. Compared to 12-14-year-olds, 15-17-year-olds reported lower scores on global physical self-perception and self-esteem, and higher scores on social physique anxiety, reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation. This study adds to the literature on burnout by considering the role of intrapersonal factors (i.e., global physical self-perception, self-esteem, sport competence, and social anxiety) in predicting burnout symptoms in adolescent athletes, and the mediating effects of psychobiosocial experiences. From an applied perspective, sport coaches should implement strategies to foster positive self-perceptions, promote pleasant psychobiosocial experiences, and prevent burnout.

The effect of group walking program on social physique anxiety and the risk of eating disorders in aged women: A Randomized Clinical Trial study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) study was to determine the effect of Group Walking Program (GWP) on social physique anxiety (SPA) and the risk of Eating Disorders (EDs) in aged women. METHODS: 70 young-old women with medical records in Sari-Iran health centers were selected by a multi-stage sampling. They obtained score of 15 or more from SPA Scale (SPAS), a score of 20 or more from Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26). The group walking lasted eight weeks. 70 young-old women with medical records in Sari-Iran health centers were selected by a multi-stage sampling. They obtained score of 15 or more from SPA Scale (SPAS), a score of 20 or more from Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26). The group walking lasted eight weeks. To compare differences in EDs and SPA at post-test, analysis of Covariance was used. RESULTS: The results showed significant differences in the mean score of SPA (P = 0.01), EDs (P < 0.001), and EDs subscales between the groups. CONCLUSION: The GWP can be used as an easy and affordable solution to reduce SPA and EDs in the aged women.

Associations between body image, social physique anxiety, and dating anxiety in heterosexual emerging adults.

Studies have suggested that body image is associated with dating anxiety, but are limited by small sample sizes, singular operationalisations of body image, and a lack of consideration of the concurrent effects of social physique anxiety. To overcome these gaps in the literature, we asked an online sample of 501 heterosexual emerging adults from the United Kingdom (age M = 21.16, 50.3% women) to complete measures of multidimensional body image, social physique anxiety, and dating anxiety. Correlational analyses indicated that more negative body image and social physique anxiety were both significantly associated with greater dating anxiety. However, in hierarchical regressions, the variance accounted for by body image variables was largely non-significant and weak after accounting for the effects of social physique anxiety. In exploratory analyses, we found that social physique anxiety mediated the relationship between the body image facet of appearance orientation and dating anxiety. These results highlight the importance of developing targeted interventions to reduce social physique anxiety and unhealthy appearance orientation in heterosocial dating contexts.

The Association of Muscle Dysmorphia, Social Physique Anxiety, and Body Checking Behavior in Male College Students With Weight Exercise.

Objectives: To investigate the association between muscle dysmorphia (MD), social physique anxiety, and body-checking behavior in male college students with weight exercise, and to reveal the association between them. Methods: A total of 492 male college students with weight exercise from 18 Fitness Clubs or bodybuilding centers in Chengdu, China, participated in this study. Results: First, the social physique anxiety scores, body checking frequency, and weight exercise behavior (i.e., frequency, time, and intensity) in male college students with MD were significantly higher than those without MD; it indicated that the higher the exercise frequency they had, the longer the exercise time they cost, and the higher exercise intensity carried out, and the higher the social physique anxiety scores tended to be, the higher the frequency of body checking on "global muscles," "chest and shoulder muscles," "comparison with others" and "posture measurement" they did. Second, the mediating effect of the social physique anxiety on MD and body checking was established in the "MD → global muscle checking," "MD → chest and shoulder muscle checking," "MD → comparison with others," and "muscle dysmorphia → posture measurement." Conclusion: Male college students with MD not only have a higher social physique anxiety, but also a higher frequency of body-checking behavior than the ordinary individuals. Social physique anxiety is one of the important mediating factors to those with MD which affects the body-checking behavior.

Untangling the associations between generalized anxiety and body dissatisfaction: The mediating effects of social physique anxiety among collegiate men and women.

Researchers disagree on which types of anxiety influence body dissatisfaction and how gender (cisgender men vs. cisgender women) may impact these associations. Specifically, little is known about how generalized anxiety and social physique anxiety combine to predict body dissatisfaction in men and women. The purpose of the present study was to explore a moderated mediation model in which the relationships between generalized anxiety and body dissatisfaction (drive for thinness and drive for muscularity) were mediated by social physique anxiety and moderated by gender. Data from 423 U.S. college students (n = 259 women) were analyzed using multigroup structural equation modeling. Generalized anxiety was positively associated with social physique anxiety, and this association was significantly stronger for men than for women. Neither social physique anxiety nor generalized anxiety were associated with drive for muscularity. Social physique anxiety was positively and significantly associated with drive for thinness equally for men and women and emerged as a significant mediator. These results highlight gender differences/similarities in body image and suggest drive for thinness and social physique anxiety may have a common factor of generalized anxiety. When helping clients who suffer with body dissatisfaction, clinicians and researchers may wish to focus on generalized anxiety (and not just social physique anxiety).