Weight Stigma and Avoidance of Physical Activity and Sport: Development of a Scale and Establishment of Correlates

Participation in sport and physical activity (PA) is declining, and the psychosocial factors underpinning avoidance of these activities are not understood. This study developed and tested a new measure assessing the tendency to avoid PA and sport because of weight stigma and appearance-related conce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-12, Vol.19 (23), p.16370
Main Authors: Bevan, Nadia, O'Brien, Kerry S, Latner, Janet D, Lin, Chung-Ying, Vandenberg, Brian, Jeanes, Ruth, Fung, Xavier C C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anxiety
Avoidance
Body mass index
Ethnicity
Exercise
Exercise - psychology
Humans
Likert scale
Overweight
Participation
Personal appearance
Physical activity
Physical fitness
Psychological aspects
Quantitative psychology
Reliability analysis
Reproducibility of Results
Sports - psychology
Stigma
Surveys and Questionnaires
Weight Prejudice
Women
Young Adult
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Summary:Participation in sport and physical activity (PA) is declining, and the psychosocial factors underpinning avoidance of these activities are not understood. This study developed and tested a new measure assessing the tendency to avoid PA and sport because of weight stigma and appearance-related concerns. University students (n = 581, mean age = 19.8 years) completed an online survey at two time points. Demographic details and measures of weight stigmatization, appearance evaluations, and enjoyment and participation in PA or sport were taken. In addition, we developed and tested a new measure of the tendency to avoid physical activity and sport (TAPAS). Psychometric testing of the scale was conducted, and correlates of TAPAS were examined. The ten-item TAPAS provided a single factor solution, and the final scale score was predictive of lower levels of enjoyment of, and participation in, physical activity and sport (p < 0.001). The scale also displayed good internal and test-retest reliability. This study provides a new measure for assessing people’s tendency to avoid PA and sport because of weight stigma or appearance-related concerns. The results suggest that initiatives seeking to increase participation in PA and sport may need to address weight stigma and associated appearance related concerns.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph192316370