Exercise behaviour and body esteem of gym-goers in india

Exercise dependence is described as exercise which is harmful if engaged compulsively and excessively. The present study aims to investigate differences in categories of exercise behaviours and areas of body esteem in gym-goers in India across genders. The study used a cross-sectional design, and the sample consisted of 291 gym-goers (females = 146; males = 145) The Exercise Dependence Scale- 21 (EDS-21) and Body Esteem Scale-Revised (BES-R) was administered to the gym-goers in India after seeking informed consent. The obtained data were statistically analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance. The results of the study indicated that there was a significant difference in the three categories of exercise behaviours and three areas of body esteem in male gym-goers. However, such similar differences were not found in female gym-goers. The differences found in body esteem for the male gym-goers in certain areas suggest how exercise has an impact on body image. For female gym-goers, we can see that irrespective of the category they belong to, there is no difference in the areas of body esteem. We can understand such findings with the sociocultural model of excessive exercise given by White and Halliwell (DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.02.002) where perceived sociocultural pressure predicts excessive exercise, which is mediated by body image. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed. Future research in India based on qualitative and longitudinal designs are warranted. peerReviewed publishedVersion

运动依赖（Exercise dependence）被界定为：若强迫性且过度地参与运动，则会引发有害后果的行为模式。本研究旨在探究印度健身人群中，不同性别群体在运动行为类别与身体自尊（body esteem）维度上的差异。本研究采用横断面研究设计，有效样本为291名健身爱好者，其中女性146名，男性145名。研究团队在获取知情同意后，对受试者施测了运动依赖量表-21（Exercise Dependence Scale-21, EDS-21）与修订版身体自尊量表（Body Esteem Scale-Revised, BES-R）。所得数据采用描述性统计与多变量方差分析进行统计学分析。研究结果显示，男性健身人群在运动行为的三个类别以及身体自尊的三个维度上均存在显著差异；而女性健身人群则未观测到此类相似差异。男性健身人群在特定身体自尊维度上的差异，揭示了运动对身体意象（body image）的影响路径。而就女性健身人群而言，无论其所属运动行为类别为何，其身体自尊维度均无显著差异。上述研究结果可通过White与Halliwell提出的过度运动社会文化模型（DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.02.002）进行阐释：个体感知到的社会文化压力可预测过度运动行为，且该关系以身体意象作为中介变量。本研究还讨论了其优势与局限，并提出未来印度地区可采用质性与纵向研究设计开展相关研究。本研究为同行评议已发表版本。