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299432
Understanding High School Football Players' Weight-Gaining Behaviors: An Application of the Integrated Behavioral Model
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
: 2:50 PM - 3:10 PM
Katharine Head, PhD
,
Department of Communication, University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information, Lexington, KY
Nicholas Iannarino, MA
,
Department of Communication, University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information, Lexington, KY
High school football players are often encouraged to gain weight to improve performance on the field. Unfortunately, many of the behaviors in which they engage to gain weight are unhealthy in nature and can lead to pre-metabolic syndrome (i.e., a cluster of symptoms such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a high concentration of abdominal fat), which can result in diabetes and heart disease later in life. The integrated behavioral model (IBM), which is useful in understanding knowledge, attitudes, and norms about health behaviors, is used as a guiding model for analyzing qualitative interviews (N = 22) with former male high school football players who reported purposefully attempting to gain weight during high school. We report on three specific themes regarding weight gain behaviors in this population: a) normative beliefs regarding weight gain for improved athletic performance, b) salience of the behavior during high school which can lead to unhealthy habits, and c) attitudes regarding the importance of weight gain to achieve athletic goals. These findings have important implications for these young men’s health during, and long after, high school. Because of this, we discuss the implications from this study within the IBM framework, pointing to the need to a) continue to study this behavior more in depth, b) develop health communication interventions targeted toward football players, especially specific football positions (i.e., offensive linemen), and c) bring increased awareness to parents and coaching staff about the implications of encouraging weight gain for the players.
Learning Areas:
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe the environment within which high school football players develop unhealthy weight gain behaviors
Identify important attitudes and normative influences that lead high school football players to develop unhealthy weight gain behaviors
Identify important ways to develop interventions to target high school football players unhealthy weight gain behaviors
Keyword(s): Weight Management, Behavioral Research
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have used the IBM framework in several additional studies focusing on health behaviors, particularly with young adult populations. I have interview methodology experience as well as qualitative analysis skills appropriate for this study. Finally, I have experience conducting formative research (using the IBM) to develop interventions for young adults, and I will use this study in such a manner.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.