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. 2013 Jan;10(1):70-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.09.004. Epub 2012 Oct 23.

Moderators of the association between exercise identity and obligatory exercise among participants of an athletic event

Trisha M Karr  1 , Christie Zunker, Ron A Thompson, Roberta T Sherman, Ann Erickson, Li Cao, Ross D Crosby, James E Mitchell
Affiliations

Moderators of the association between exercise identity and obligatory exercise among participants of an athletic event

Trisha M Karr et al. Body Image. 2013 Jan.

Abstract

Previous research has connected exercise identity with obligatory exercise, yet to date no empirical studies have identified moderator variables of this association. The current study included participants of an athletic event (full marathon, n=582; half marathon, n=1,106; shorter distance, n=733) who completed questionnaires about exercise behaviors, obligatory exercise, and internalization of both the thin-ideal and athletic-ideal body shapes. General linear model analyses were conducted to examine the exercise identity-obligatory exercise relationship; moderator variables included gender, internalization of the thin-ideal body shape, and internalization of the athletic-ideal body shape. After controlling for the effects of body mass index, age, and distance group, the three-way interaction of exercise identity, gender, and internalization of the athletic-ideal body shape predicted obligatory exercise. Findings suggest that women who report high identification with exercise and high value on having an athletic physique may be vulnerable to obligatory exercise.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Exercise Identity × Athletic-Ideal × Gender for Predicting Obligatory Exercise Among Women Note. AID = Internalization of the Athletic-Ideal body shape. The continuous moderator variable, Internalization of the Athletic-Ideal body shape (AID), was recoded as a centered variable around the grand mean. Gender was included in the model as a dichotomous moderator variable. Simple slopes analyses were conducted at the level of one standard deviation value above and below the mean for Exercise Identity. p < .01.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Exercise Identity × Athletic-Ideal × Gender for Predicting Obligatory Exercise Among Men Note. AID = Internalization of the Athletic-Ideal body shape. The continuous moderator variable, Internalization of the Athletic-Ideal body shape (AID), was recoded as a centered variable around the grand mean. Gender was included in the model as a dichotomous moderator variable. Simple slopes analyses were conducted at the level of one standard deviation value above and below the mean for Exercise Identity. p = ns.
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