The effects of a 6-month exercise intervention programme on physical self-perceptions and social physique anxiety in non-physically active adolescent Swedish girls

Objectives: To examine the effects of a 6-month exercise intervention programme (EIP) on physical self-perceptions (PSP) and social physique anxiety (SPA) of non-physically active adolescent Swedish girls. Methods: A true experimental design with randomization into an intervention or control group was used. The empowerment based EIP, offered to the intervention group twice a week for 6 months, consisted of 45-min exercise sessions followed by 15 min of discussions regarding a healthy lifestyle. A variety of exercise activities, chosen by the participants themselves, were used. Twenty-seven participants in the intervention group and 35 in the control group completed the Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP) and the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) at pre- and posttest and, in addition, physical fitness, weight and height were measured. Results and conclusions: The intent to treat analysis showed no significant improvements in PSPP subdomains, but lower SPAS scores for the intervention group, compared to the control group. However, when using a less conservative analysis, including only those who completed assessments both pre- and post-intervention, the intervention significantly reduced both PSPP subdomain and SPAS scores. The changes in PSPP and SPAS scores were not linked to changes in physiological variables. The results are put in the context of previous longitudinal and review studies, theoretical frameworks and models. The direction of effects, possible mechanisms and limitations of the study are discussed along with practical applications linked to exercise and modern diseases. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.