The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66811

Daniel Adame, PhD, MSPH CHES¹, Steven P. Cole, PhD², and Sally A Radell, MFA¹. (1) Department of Health, Physical Education and Dance, Emory University, Woodruff Physical Education Center 314F, 600 Asbury Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, 404-727-4092, phyedda@emory.edu, (2) Research Design Associates, 1315 Baptist Church Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

This study assessed the factor structure of the Reasons for Exercise Inventory and the relations of the inventory with self-reported amount of exercise, body image and locus of control. Two-hundred-seventy-four college students (156 women, 118 men) enrolled in a personal health course completed the Adame, Cole, Johnson, and Matthiasson 9-point Amount of Exercise Scale, the Cash 69-item Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, the revised 25-item Silberstein, Striegel-Moore, Timko, and Rodin Reasons for Exercise Inventory, and the 40-item Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Control Scale. Factor analysis indicated that the Reasons for Exercise instrument has internally consistent structure with factors for women of Appearance, Fitness/Health Management, Socializing, Societal Expectations/Body Tone, Stress/Mood Management and Weight Control, and for men of Appearance, Fitness, Health Management, Socializing, Societal Expectations/Body Tone and Stress/Mood Management. For women, statistically significant correlations included Appearance with external locus of control and low body-areas satisfaction; Fitness with feeling physically fit and placing high value on fitness; Socializing with lower amount of exercise yet placing high value on fitness; Societal Expectations/Body Tone with external locus of control, and Weight Control with low body-areas satisfaction. For men, significant correlations included Appearance with low body-areas satisfaction; Fitness with high body-areas satisfaction, feeling physically fit, and placing high value on fitness; Health Management with internal locus of control; and Socializing with placing high value on fitness. Reasons for exercise and physical activity are discussed in relation to the body image needs of college students.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to: (
• articulate the factor structure of the Reasons for Exercise Inventory for women and men; (
• describe the relations of the Reasons for Exercise Inventory to the subscales of the Body Image Questionnaire and Locus of Control Scale for women and men; (
• list the ten subscales of the 69-item Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.