Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 May 13:15:1372331.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1372331. eCollection 2024.

Associations between anthropometry, body composition, and body image in athletes: a systematic review

Mary D Webb  1 , Melissa M Melough  1 , Carrie P Earthman  1 , Sarah E Katz  2 , Carly R Pacanowski  1
Affiliations

Associations between anthropometry, body composition, and body image in athletes: a systematic review

Mary D Webb et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Introduction: Poor body image is a potent risk factor for disordered eating and eating disorders. Athletes are a population at increased risk for eating disorders despite reports of lower body image concerns compared to non-athletes. Body size and composition may influence an athlete's susceptibility to poor body image.

Methods: Five electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus) were searched to systematically evaluate the literature regarding the association between body measures (i.e., anthropometric and body composition indicators) and body image in athletes. The systematic review was completed following PRISMA guidelines and 27 cross-sectional studies were identified for inclusion and evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies.

Results: Studies differed in methodological assessment of anthropometry or body composition (i.e., self-reported versus researcher-measured), methods for evaluating aspects of body image, geographic location, and sport type. Higher body mass index (BMI) or percent body fat (%BF) was significantly associated with greater body dissatisfaction in 16 of 22 studies (72.7%). Positive associations between body measures and aspects of negative body image were most consistently observed among studies that assessed BMI based on self-reported heights and weights, while significant associations between body composition measures (e.g., %BF, fat mass, fat-free mass) were less common. Four of seven studies assessing relationships between BMI and an aspect of positive body image reported significant inverse relationships, while three revealed insignificant associations.

Discussion: Overall, higher BMI and body fat were associated with body dissatisfaction among athletes. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings within focused populations and utilizing body composition methods (e.g., bioelectrical impedance techniques).

Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, CRD42023446518.

Keywords: anthropometry; athletes; body composition; body image; sport.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The PRISMA 2020 guidelines are referenced in the manuscript (Page 2020).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Aleksic-Veljkovic A., Djurovic D. (2020). Eating attitudes and body image concerns among female athletes from aesthetic sports. Annales Kinesiologiae 11, 3–16. doi: 10.35469/ak.2020.242 - DOI
    1. Ben-Tovim D. I., Walker M. K. (1991). The development of the Ben-Tovim Walker body attitudes questionnaire (BAQ), a new measure of women’s attitudes towards their own bodies. Psychol. Med. 21, 775–784. doi: 10.1017/S0033291700022406 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Berengüí R., Angosto S., Hernández-Ruiz A., Rueda-Flores M., Castejón M. A. (2023). Body image and eating disorders in aesthetic sports: a systematic review of assessment and risk. Sci. Sports. 39, 241–249. doi: 10.1016/j.scispo.2023.03.006 - DOI
    1. Borrione P., Battaglia C., Fiorilli G., Moffa S., Despina T., Piazza M., et al. . (2013). Body image perception and satisfaction in elite rhythmic gymnasts: a controlled study. Med. Sport 66, 61–70,
    1. Bratland-Sanda S., Sundgot-Borgen J. (2013). Eating disorders in athletes: overview of prevalence, risk factors and recommendations for prevention and treatment. Eur. J. Sport Sci. 13, 499–508. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2012.740504, PMID: - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

LinkOut - more resources

-