dc.description.abstract | The aim of this study was to investigate body image and drive for thinness among
adolescent boys, and to examine variations for these variables in age and level of
physical activity. This cross-sectional study is part of “the Relevance of Physical
Activity Contexts in Every-Day Life of Adolescents” (REPAC), which is a larger
project. 1423 boys from secondary school (8th grade) and upper secondary school
(11th grade) were included in this study, and these responded to a questionnaire that
was developed to examine how different activity contexts affected adolescent boys
everyday lives. Correlation analysis and one-way ANOVA tests were conducted to
examine the relationships and variations between groups. The results showed that the
boys from
secondary school scored better on body image and higher degree of drive
for thinness compared with boys from upper secondary school. Both 8th and 11th
grade together and only the boys from 8th grade who reported high levels of physical
activity, also reported a better body image. The boys from 11th grade who reported a
high level of physical activity, also reported higher degree of drive for thinness
compared with those who reported low levels of physical activity. In addition to
confirming previous research on the relationship between body image and physical
activity, body image and drive for thinness, does this study document a positive
correlation between level of physical activity and body image among adolescent
boys.
Keywords: Body image, drive for thinness, physical activity, boys, adolescents | nb_NO |