Comparisons of Physical Self-Perception of Weight Status and Actual Measures of Body Composition in University Female Athletes and Non-Athlete

Borgard, Shannan M.

Comparisons of Physical Self-Perception of Weight Status and Actual Measures of Body Composition in University Female Athletes and Non-Athlete

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Abstract: Over the past decades, there has been an increase in obesity among college students. Researchers have examined faulty self-perceptions of weight status as one probable cause for this unhealthy weight trend. The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of college student’s physical self-perception of weight status classification and the relationship between students’ self-perceptions of weight status to their actual measures of percent body fat. In addition, university female athletes will be compared to non-athletes. Participants were 50 (25 athletes, 25 non-athletes) female college students. Actual height and weight measurements were taken to calculate percent body fat scores. Individual body fat percentage was determined through bioelectrical impedance analysis method (BIA). In addition, participants voluntarily answered a single questionnaire taken from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-94 (NHANES III) in order to assess their own weight status: ‘Do you consider yourself now to be overweight, underweight, or about the right weight? Responses to this question were compared with how subject (n=50) would be classified by medical standards given their recommended body fat ranges (Gallagher et al.). T-test analyses by group type revealed no significant difference in self-perceptions of weight status between athletes and non-athletes; however, university female athletes had significantly lower percent body fat than non-athletes. Spearman’s rho correlation revealed a positive significant relationship between self-perceptions of weight status and percent body fat. Chi-square analyses for both athletes and non-athletes revealed that underweight and healthy (right weight) weight students tended to overestimate their weight status. Results suggest that university female students were less aware of their weight status classification when compared to actual percent body fat measures.

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