Steroid use in rhinoplasty: an objective assessment of postoperative edema.

The objective of this study was to measure the effect of a single, preoperative 10 mg dose of dexamethasone on postoperative edema associated with rhinoplasty. This was a randomized, double-blind prospective study conducted in a military academic tertiary referral center. Twenty men, aged 18 to 45 years, were enrolled in the study over 28 months. All 20 men underwent rhinoplasty with osteotomy. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained on the morning of surgery and postoperative scans were obtained within 48 hours. Postoperative edema was quantified as the difference in soft tissue thickness (mm) between the pre- and postoperative scans. Contrary to our expectations, the rhinoplasty patients who received dexamethasone had increased postoperative edema (p < 0.02) when compared to patients not receiving dexamethasone. This is the first objective, double-blind study that shows an increase in postoperative edema after rhinoplasty with a single preoperative dose of dexamethasone.

Exercise and self-esteem in middle-aged adults: multidimensional relationships and physical fitness and self-efficacy influences.

In the context of sedentary middle-aged adults, the present study examined the relationships among domain-specific and global levels of self-esteem over the course of a 20-week exercise program. Additionally, the roles played by physical fitness, body composition, self-efficacy, and exercise participation as possible contributors to changes in physical self-worth were examined. Significant improvements in self-esteem at all levels were discovered with global esteem, physical self-worth, and perceptions of physical condition and attractive body increasing. Tests of the hierarchical structure of self-esteem showed greater improvements in physical condition and physical self-worth than global esteem and the relationships between global esteem and subdomain levels were shown to be mediated by physical self-worth. Hierarchical regression analyses showed changes in ratings of importance to have little impact on changes in physical self-worth. Both changes in efficacy and aerobic capacity were demonstrated to account for modest but significant variation in physical self-esteem. Results are discussed in terms of contemporary models of self-esteem, potential mediators of exercise effects on esteem, and the need to measure the constructs of interest appropriately.

Physique anxiety and exercise in middle-aged adults.

The present study examined the relationships among body composition, exercise participation, and physique anxiety in a sample of middle-aged, formerly sedentary males and females. Study variables were assessed prior to and following participation in a 20-week aerobic exercise program. Subjects reduced their weight, body fat, and body circumferences over the course of the program, as well as physique anxiety. Multivariate and hierarchical regression analyses revealed females and those subjects between 45 and 54 years to be significantly more physique-anxious than their older counterparts. Being female and failing to reduce hip circumference were significantly related to postprogram physique anxiety. Although those who exercised more frequently tended to be less physique-anxious in correlational analyses, exercise frequency was a nonsignificant predictor when controlling for body composition. Thus, it appears that body image is a concern across the female age spectrum rather than the sole province of undergraduate females.

Exercise in middle-aged adults: self-efficacy and self-presentational outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Whereas self-efficacy expectations have been identified as important determinants of exercise participation patterns, little empirical work that examines efficacy expectations as outcomes of exercise participation or their theoretical relationship to other psychological outcomes associated with exercise has been conducted. In the context of middle-aged males and females, the present study attempted to integrate social cognitive and impression management perspectives with respect to anxiety associated with exercise. METHODS: Formerly sedentary subjects participated in a 5-month exercise program with assessments of physique anxiety, efficacy, outcome expectations, and anthropometric variables prior to and following the program. RESULTS: Both acute bouts and long-term participation in exercise resulted in significant increases in self-efficacy. In turn, these changes in efficacy and initial positive outcome expectations were significant predictors of reductions in physique anxiety, even when controlling for the influence of gender and reductions in body fat, weight, and circumferences. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are discussed in terms of the implications for structure and content of exercise environments and the utility of the proposed theoretical integration. Strategies for enhancing beliefs regarding health and fitness outcomes associated with exercise rather than appearance outcomes may be required to maximize reductions in negative body image.