2007 Volume 16 Issue 1 Pages 23-31
Body image is closely related to the weight control, the management of body shape, and eating behaviors. To clarify the characteristics of body image among female college students majoring in physical education, the present study conducted a questionnaire survey regarding exercise habits, ideal height/weight and body image on 179 students majoring in physical education (PH), 133 students majoring in nutritional sciences (NU), and 113 students majoring in paedology (PA). The results can be summarized as follows: 1) Eighty-two percent PH habitually exercised, and most exercised 5-6 days/week for 3-4h/day. 2) Mean reported height and weight among PH was 160.4cm and 54.8kg, respectively. This was significantly higher than the 158.5cm/52.5kg mean values reported by NU and the 158.0cm/51.4kg mean for PA, as well as national height/weight means. 3) Mean ideal height and weight among PH was 163.6cm and 51.5kg. Comparison of differences between reported and ideal values among PH with those among students in the other two majors revealed that PH wished to be taller, and students majoring in nutritional sciences and PA wished to be lighter. 4) PH presented similar responses to those NU and PA in 11 of 13 questions regarding body image such as "I am too fat" (affirmed by 55.3% of PH) and "I should lose weight" (affirmed by 71.5%). In contrast, the percentage of students who responded "applicable" for the remaining 2 questions, "I wish to become thinner to be attractive to other people" and "I should maintain lighter weight by exercising more" were significantly lower among PH. 5) The correlation coefficients among 13 questions were caluculated and the correlation matrix was submitted to a principal components analysis. It was found that about 60% of total variance of the thirteen variables was accounted for by four components. Furthermore, from the inspection of eigenvectors corresponding to these components, it was supposed that the first principal components represents the factor of desire for thin body. The means of scores of the first principal components in PH were significantly different among NU and PA. Above result explains that PH. from Physical Program are conducting regular physical exercise and have similar image or imagination of the body to those of PH from UN and PA, and there is a significant difference in their preference of ideal and thin body.
