Why is this project needed?
Low physical activity participation across Europe: There is a considerable need to address the interaction between body image and physical activity. From available data from Germany, Lithuania and Sweden for 15-year-olds that engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity range between for females 9 – 12%, males 15 – 23%. Physical activity declines, particularly for girls, with new research indicating the major barriers to engagement as feeling judged (61%), lack of self-belief (50%), and not feeling safe exercising outside (38%).
High rates of body dissatisfaction that leads to physical and mental health problems, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic: The data also shows the proportion of young people who think they are too fat; females 40 – 47%, males 18 – 29%, which indicates a possible negative body image. It is established that negative body image is associated with lower physical activity and sport participation, and this is especially manifested for individuals that experience social inequality (2). Furthermore, A recent survey found that 70% of under 18 years olds said they hadn’t learned about positive body image at school and 78% said they would like to learn more about body image in school (3). The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in increased body image concerns, and a spike in eating disorder referrals to treatment hospitals across the Western world, as young people struggle to cope with the uncertainty that the pandemic has brought to their future (4).
Health and sport professionals need for training in the creation of physical activity environments that are welcoming, and inclusive of diversity: People who study or work in health and sport have been found to have high levels of personal vulnerability to body image concerns, eating and exercise disorders, as well as high levels of weight stigma towards people in larger bodies (5). This creates environments that are not welcoming for people whose bodies and identities sit out of the mainstream norms. University curricula often focus on sciences and pedagogy, but not the psychology of movement and sport promotion, which prevents graduates from gaining a nuanced understanding of how they can be more inclusive of diversity.
1. Reframing Sport for Teenage Girls: Tackling Teenage Disengagement. Sport England
2. HBSC-study, 2017-2018 (http://www.hbsc.org/index.aspx)
3. https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/women-and-equalities-body-imagesurvey/
index.html.
4. Zipfel, S., et al (2022). The hidden burden of eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The
Lancet Psychiatry, 9(1), 9-11.
5. Yager, et al., (2020). Pre-service teachers’ gendered attitudes towards role modelling in
health and physical education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 25(1), 67-78.
Projekto koordinatorius:
Kristianstad University (Sweden)
Projekto partneriai:
Lithuanian Sports University
Neapolis University Pafos (Cyprus)
University of Paderborn (Germany)
University of Porto (Portugal)