Alayne Yates

Measurement of exercise orientation in normalsubjects: gender and age differences

Abstract This study describes the development and evaluation of a questionnaire to measureexercise attitudes and behavior including those associated with psychopathology. A 49-itemExercise Orientation Questionnaire (EOQ) was administered to the following groups: 103undergraduate college students, 40 attendees at two professional conferences, and 111 membersof a jury pool. Factor analysis yielded 6 clearly interpretable factors which accounted for 44.6%of the total variance: (1) Self-control, (2) Orientation to Exercise, (3) Self Loathing, (4) WeightReduction, (5) Competition, and (6) Identity. Twenty-two items were eliminated on the basis ofthe factor analysis for a final total of 27 items. Alpha coefficients for the factors ranged from0.74 to 0.87, with 0.92 for the total score, suggesting excellent reliability. Good concurrentvalidity was indicated by significant correlations between EOQ scores and ratings of exerciseinvestment, frequency, and duration. The two largest groups, university students and jury poolmembers, were compared on the basis of age and sex. Females scored higher on WeightReduction while Males scored higher on Identity. Young males scored higher than older maleson Self Control, Self Loathing, Competition, and total EOQ score. Findings suggest that, whencompared to older men, young men in this culture are under greater stress and have a morenegative sense of body and self.

Using an exercise-based instrument to detect signs of an eating disorder

The study employed an innovative exercise-based instrument to identify individuals at risk for eating disorder (ED). The Exercise Orientation Questionnaire (EOQ), a reliable and valid instrument, was used to compare 80 ED patients, 74 obese patients, 99 elite runners, and 214 controls from a previous study. Runners resembled ED patients in scoring high on total EOQ and exercise intensity but differed in that the athletes scored low on self-loathing (SLSS), a sub-scale of the EOQ. SLSS scores clearly distinguished clinical (ED, obese) from non-clinical groups, while other sub-scales (self-control, weight loss, and identity) did not. The study suggests that it is feasible to detect ED risk through assessment of exercise attitudes and behaviors. The SLSS subscale of the EOQ can differentiate clinical from non-clinical groups and anorexic patients from healthy individuals with body mass index within the anorexic range. The SLSS could provide a theoretical bridge between compulsive athleticism and ED.

Eating disorder symptoms in runners, cyclists, and paddlers ☆

OBJECTIVE To differentiate groups of highly conditioned, competitive athletes on the basis of Exercise Orientation Questionnaire (EOQ) scores and self-reported psychiatric symptoms. METHOD A total of 99 runners, 36 cyclists, and 55 paddlers were administered the EOQ and a symptom checklist. RESULTS Analysis of variance and chi-square associated self-loathing subscale (SLSS) scores with self-reported eating disorder (ED) symptoms for the entire group [F(1)=4.83; P<.05] and for females only [F(1)=9.30; P<.001]. The paddler group reported more anxiety/panic symptoms than runners or cyclists (chi(2)=7.91; P<.01) and higher SLSS scores than cyclists [F(2)=6.91; P<.01]. The female-only paddler group reported more anxiety/panic [chi(2)(1)=10.27; P<.001] than the other groups. Although total group scores were comparable to controls, 12% runners, 14% cyclists, and 18% paddlers scored above previously established ED patient mean. DISCUSSION The paddler group appeared less healthy than runners or cyclists and were more likely to report ED symptoms. These differences could have been related to a dissimilar ethnic composition or particular social stress generated within paddling groups. In this study, SLSS was highly specific in its association with ED symptoms. This is of particular interest because SLSS is based on questions about exercise rather than eating pathology.

Differentiating hypererotic states in the evaluation of sexual abuse.

When young children behave in a sexual manner, they may be suspected of having been sexually abused. However, this behavior may or may not indicate sexual abuse. Case studies suggest that nonsexually abused children can manifest an increase in erotic behavior on the basis of unusually intense but nonabusive sexual experiences or as part of a compulsion. When the sexual behavior is secondary to abuse, it can be related to posttraumatic stress disorder or intense and prolonged sexual experience.

Characteristics of young, violent offenders

Three groups of young, violent, incarcerated male offenders were compared through an analysis of semistructured interviews. These 339 young offenders described the early relationships with their fathers as more important than the early relationships with their mothers. Person offenders were relatively similar to murderers but, compared to this collective group of violent offenders, property offenders had a history of more severely impaired relationships and were more likely to have been labeled as emotionally disturbed or as learning disabled in school records. This study emphasizes the importance of considering ethnicity and of including a property offender contrast group in studies of young violent offenders.

The Superwoman ideal and other risk factors for eating disturbances in adolescent girls

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between disordered eating, the Superwoman ideal, competitiveness, and achievement motivation. The EAT-26, Personality Research Form (Achievement scale), and Self-Roles Inventory were administered to 69 10–12th-grade girls (69.6% White, 11.6% Hispanic, 5.8% Black, 5.8% Asian, 7.2% no information on ethnicity). EAT-26 scores were not significantly associated with attending an academically competitive high school, having a high achievement motivation, or considering a number of roles as important to ones sense of self (adherence to the Superwoman ideal). EAT-26 scores were significantly higher among the girls attending the average high school. It is important to conduct further investigations of the Superwoman ideal since it has been posited as a risk factor for eating disorders, but has been the focus of only a few empirical studies.

Psychiatric symptoms in offspring of within vs. across racial/ethnic marriages.

A large number of adolescents of interracial ancestry (parents comprising various combinations of African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, European-American, Chinese, Filipino, Hispanic, Japanese, Korean, Puerto Rican, Samoan, and Tongan ancestry) were contrasted with a monoracial European-American sample in the degree to which they reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, conduct disorder/aggression, and substance abuse. The adolescents of interracial ancestry were subdivided into three groups in terms of parental ancestry: both parents of interracial ancestry, one parent of interracial and the other of monoracial ancestry, and both parents of monoracial but different ancestries. The interracial ancestry groups did not differ significantly from one another or from the European American sample in terms of symptom scores.

The Impact of Exercise Performance Dissatisfaction and Physical Exercise on Symptoms of Depression Among College Students: A Gender Comparison

ABSTRACT Depression is a common psychological problem and females have been found to be at greater risk for this disorder than males. Although numerous studies have found that physical exercise is negatively associated with risk of depression, some studies suggest that negative exercise attitudes may increase the risk of depression. The present study used the survey method to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms, exercise performance dissatisfaction, body dissatisfaction, and physical exercise among a sample of 895 undergraduate university students. Females reported higher depression and exercise performance dissatisfaction scores than males; however, there were no gender differences in body dissatisfaction. Exercise performance dissatisfaction was positively associated with depression among both males and females. Physical exercise was negatively associated with depression among males, but not among females. The possibility of screening participants enrolled in exercise programs for performance dissatisfaction is discussed as negative exercise attitudes may diminish the positive impact of exercise on depressed mood.

Romantic interest in obese college students.

This study compares romantic interest in obese and non-obese students. We surveyed 1217 college students on their demographic characteristics, self-perceptions (self-loathing and drive for thinness), and romantic selectivity. Obese people (especially women) showed strongly negative self-perceptions. Obese people and women were less likely to be selective about the physical traits of their potential partners than nonobese people and men. Obese women preferred overweight (but not obese) partners. Obese men preferred partners in the normal weight range. Results suggest that obesity is associated with predictable alterations in ones romantic attraction to others.

A Cross-Cultural Study of Disordered Eating Attitudes Among Filipino and Caucasian Americans

The present study examines the symptom levels of eating disorders among Filipino and Caucasian college students residing in Hawaii. The study also examines what variables are associated with disordered eating. A self-report questionnaire that included measures of anger discomfort, self-dissatisfaction, body dissatisfaction, and symptoms of eating disorders was administered to Filipino and Caucasian college students. As predicted, females reported higher eating disorder symptom scores than males. However, Filipino males reported higher levels of disordered eating, dieting, and body dissatisfaction than Caucasian males. No association was found between disordered eating and anger discomfort among Filipinos. The results support previous findings of females reporting higher disordered eating attitudes than males, however, Filipino males reported higher disordered attitudes than Caucasian males. Anger discomfort was not associated with disordered eating among Filipinos, supporting past studies that suggest anger management may not be an appropriate treatment for disordered eating among some Asian groups.