Beyond the Surface: Exploring the Relationship Between Body Image and Perceptions of Physical Skill Competence in Female Adolescents

Date

2024

Authors

Mann, Caitlin

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Victoria

Abstract

The purpose of this preliminary cross-sectional analysis is to explore the relationship between body image and perceived lack of physical skill, which have been shown to be barriers to female adolescents’ continuation in PA and sport. Female participants (n=9, age=14.33) were recruited from the Adolescent Daily Lives study sample. Participants completed the Experience of Embodiment Survey (EOES), where the Resisting Objectification (RO) subset of six questions were used to quantify participants’ body image rating. Participants completed two test trials of each movement assessment, squat and one-hand catch (OHC), using the Baseline Movement protocols. Following movement completion, participants answered three Self-Reflective questions, using a Likert scale, to quantify participants’ perception of physical skill competence. Pearson correlation was used to identify an association between the two variables, where a strong positive correlation was found between body image and perception of physical skill competence (Fig. 1)(r= 0.808, p = 0.015). There exists a strong relationship between body image and individuals’ perceptions of their physical skill competence. In the second phase of this study, this relationship will be considered in its impact on participants' daily minutes of MVPA.

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Keywords

body image, physical skill, female adolescents, self-perception

Citation