There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
This cross-sectional study contributes to the literature on whether body dissatisfaction
is a barrier/facilitator to engaging in physical activity and to investigate the impact
of mass-media messages via computer-time on body dissatisfaction. High-school students
( N = 1501) reported their physical activity, computer-time (homework/leisure) and
body dissatisfaction. Researchers measured students' weight and height. Analyses revealed
that body dissatisfaction was negatively associated with physical activity on both
genders, whereas computer-time was associated only with girls' body dissatisfaction.
Specifically, as computer-homework increased, body dissatisfaction decreased; as computer-leisure
increased, body dissatisfaction increased. Weight-related interventions should improve
body image and physical activity simultaneously, while critical consumption of mass-media
interventions should include a computer component.