Relationship between body image and overall and athletic internalization in young track and field female athletes

Abstract

Little is known about the relationship between body image (BI) and sociocultural factors in athletes. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between BI and overall and athletic internalization in female track and field athletes in track events, with the participation of 83 young individuals aged 12-17 years. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was used to assess BI. The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 was used to evaluate overall and athletic internalization. Differences were observed in the scores of the “Overall Internalization” (F(1.82)=13.41; p=0.02) and “Athletic Internalization” (F(1.82)=9.83; p=0.04) subscales among athletes who were satisfied and those dissatisfied with their body. The findings indicated relationship between “Overall Internalization” (F(1.82)=23.79; p=0.01) subscale with BSQ scores, but the magnitude of the relationship increased little when the “Athletic Internalization” (F(1.82)=14.33; p=0.01) subscale was included. It was concluded that overall internalization was more related to BI of athletes than athletic internalization.