The interactive role of gender, BMI, and exercise habits on social physique anxiety

Objective: Social physique anxiety (SPA) is characterized by concerns of evaluation focused on one's physical appearance. Past work suggests factors such as gender, body mass index (BMI), and exercise habits uniquely contribute to SPA. However, no study has examined the interactions between these three variables. The current study sought to investigate the linked impact of gender, BMI, and exercise habits on SPA. Participants: Participants (N = 360) from a large Midwestern university completed questionnaires assessing relevant variables. Method: SPA was elevated for women, individuals with higher BMI, and those who do not exercise. Results: A significant interaction indicated that women who were classified as overweight and obese reported elevated SPA, but the same effect did not hold for men. A marginally significant interaction revealed that men who engage in exercise reported lower SPA scores than women who exercise. Conclusions: These data depict both protective and maintenance factors of SPA for college populations. Other clinical implications are discussed.