Gender-Specific Tendencies toward Exercise Addiction - Lab Report Example

GENDER DIFFERENCE IN EXERCISE ADDICTION AND THE POSSIBLE ROLES OF EATING BEHAVIOUR ANXIETY AND REASON FOR EXERCISE IN UNDERGRADUATE Objectives: The aim or objective of the study is to find out whether there are gender specific tendencies towards exercise addiction among registered gym members of college students and the possible role of reason for exercise, eating behaviour, and anxiety. Literature Reports have demonstrated addictive exercise behaviours to be closely associated with gender differences, eating behaviours, reason for exercise, and anxiety. This indicates that in the specific age groups of college going students, there would be differences among genders and association with different associated psychological comorbidities. Although this had been a suggestion, there is paucity of study in this population which incorporated in its design the fact of gender difference, reason for exercise, eating disorders, and anxiety. These sociopathies may be having a predictive value in exercise addiction if the hypothesis that gender difference, reason for exercise, eating behavior, and anxiety are predictors of exercise addiction in college students and hence may be of value in designing specific interventions as the case may be. Methods In order to investigate this, a study has been proposed that employs a parametric test using cross-sectional regression analysis design to determine the effect sizes of independent or predictor variables of eating habits, reason for exercise, and trait anxiety in influencing exercise addiction. The data from this study will use a sample size of 100 comprising of 50 male and 50 female healthy gym members selected randomly from the University gym. The outcomes were addiction inventory questionnaire (EAI), Eating habits measured by Dutch Eating Behaviours Questionnaire (DEBQ), Reason for Exercise measured by Exercise Motivation Inventory-2 Questionnaire (EMI-2), and Anxiety measured by State Trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire.\ Results Results from all these questionnaires will be pooled and analysed are expected to demonstrate interrelationships between these predictive parameters and addictive exercise patterns. Conclusion If this is demonstrated, it can be concluded that the hypothesis is true that there are gender specific tendencies towards exercise addiction among registered gym members of college students and the possible role of reason for exercise, eating behaviour, and anxiety Introduction In the recent times, sports and exercise psychologists are intrigued with the potential problem of exercise dependence that may lead to all-consuming obsession with exercise activities. What was to begin with a part of healthy lifestyle, has now turned into unhealthy preoccupation. This has particularly been seen in young age groups such as in adolescents and college students. Exercise addiction or dependence clinically is not different from other addictive disorders such as substance abuse or other dependences. As indicated by Bamber et al. (2000a) and Robbins and Joseph (1985), this is a condition defined by experience of withdrawal symptoms by the victims on cessation of exercise (Bamber et al. 2000). They continue to pursue increasing exercise leading to development of increasing tolerance, and hence they are found to be exercising despite medical contraindications. Their personalities and mood structures turn different from the normal population, and they have evidence of disturbed psychological functioning (Robbins and Joseph 1985). Current literature has indicated other predictors of psychological disturbance to be linked with exercise addiction, which are probably gender, reason for exercise, anxiety and eating disorder, and interference with relationship (Hurst et al., 2000). If they are connected, there can be a new set of predictors for exercise addiction in a specific gender, and hence there could be a probability of psychiatric comorbidities in such population. These facts mandate a study as to whether really gender difference, reason for exercise, abnormal eating behavior, and/or anxiety precipitate or substantiate exercise addiction. Background Existing studies do not clearly differentiate between primary exercise dependence and problem exercise addiction as an associated feature, so predictions for exercise addiction may be possible. Moreover, there is insufficient evidence as to whether secondary exercise addiction have predictive patterns from different other associated conditions specially in the undergraduate population in college. In case of female students who exercise, if there were no associated comorbid psychologic disorders, the personality profile and psychological morbidities do not differ from healthy controls. Bamber et al. (2000a) further indicated that females with eating disorders irrespective of exercise dependence display "relatively high levels of psychological morbidity, high levels of neuroticism, dispositional addictiveness and impulsiveness, lower self esteem, greater concern with body shape and weight, and more maladaptive beliefs about the consequences of not exercising" (Bamber et al. 2000a). This indicates that mere presence of eating disorder in females demonstrate a pathology for developing exercise addiction, and absence of the former in females, make them nonpathologic exercise addicts. Hausenblas and Symons Downs (2002b) reviewed the gender difference literature to indicate that there is no simple and concise conclusion about gender differences in exercise addiction when the other comorbidities are considered, especially in college graduates. This substantiates the need for a study involving college students, which may investigate the gender specific tendency towards exercise addiction with the possible contributory roles of reason for exercise, anxiety, and eating behavior. Literature Review In order to accomplish this, a literature review was undertaken based on the key words “exercise addiction”, “exercise dependence”, “gender difference”, “eating disorder”, “reason for exercise”, “anxiety”, “college students”, and other synonymous terms such as “impulsive exercise”, “associated condition”, “predictive conditions”, and “comorbidities” across databases such as HighWire Press, “Google Analytics”, “Athens”, “Infotrieve”, “Pubmed”, and “Cochrane databases.” All these related terms were searched with application of Boolean logic with the use of conjunctions “and” or “or”. Specific literature with the college students as samples and literature that dealt with all the keywords were sparse, and thus, different associations such as gender differences, reasons for exercise, anxiety, and eating disorder were searched separately with exercise addiction to find out relevant literature where the sample were within the age groups 18-23. This literature review was necessary to update the current knowledge, identify the gaps in current research, and to design an effective study based on the aim indicated above. Based on the conceptual themes, the findings from the literature review have been presented below. Findings from Literature Review Several terms are in use to indicate this condition, and literature fails to show any distinction between dependence and addiction in exercise as they are applicable to other dependence conditions encountered in psychology (Edmunds et al., 2006). There has been examples of studies which have drawn parallels between such obsessive exercising encountered in some exercisers and other examples of pathological behaviors, and many studies report high prevalence rates of this condition in people who exercise (Bamber et al., 200b). Despite several reports, there is still confusion and lack of consensus among the authors about the true correlates of this condition, and these are still various opinions regarding exercise addiction to be a primary clinical entity (Anderson et al., 1997). Moreover, there are other correlates of this condition which can be of predictive value, and they must be borne in mind while advising or designing an exercise strategy of any individual. While older studies based on unidimensional exercise dependence parameters indicated no differences in gender incidences of this problem which is defined by a ‘‘a craving for leisure time physical activity that results in uncontrollable excessive exercise behaviour and that manifests in physiological symptoms (eg, tolerance, withdrawal) and/or psychological symptoms (eg, anxiety, depression)’’ (Hausenblas and Downs, 2002a, page 90)." This study demonstrated seven different criteria for measurement of exercise addiction. These are tolerance, effects on withdrawal, intention effects, lack of control, time, reductions in other activities, and continuance, which were earlier applicable to study substance dependence based on DSM-IV criteria. This multidimensional analysis indicated in studies of the recent times that in contrast to previous findings of equivocal gender differences in exercise addiction, there are clear trends of possible gender differences (Weik and Hale, 2009). It has been found that rather than a psychologic obsessive behaviour, women pursue regular exercise for weight control and health reasons. Hausenblas and Downs (2002a) demonstrated appearance of opposite trends in gender difference in undergraduate college students when compared between men and women. On the same scales there is significant gender difference in terms of exercise addiction. In another gender balanced sample, Hausenblas and Symons Downs (2002b) indicated that college male students are at risk of exercise addiction or dependence at least three times the females (Hausenblas and Symons Downs, 2002b). Although these appear to be clear, there is a considerable confusion in defining the exercise addiction in quantitative terms. Several studies have attempted to delineate different criteria for diagnosis of exercise addiction. It is to be remembered exercise habit is a healthy pursuit, and it is important to know when it becomes an unhealthy preoccupation. This argument brings in the concepts of primary and secondary exercise addictions in order to differentiate between exercise addiction as an independent clinical entity and addiction to exercise related to other pathological problems, such as eating disorder, anxiety, and citing a reason for exercise (Veale, 1995). These studies have attempted to quantify addictive exercise as "“addicted runners” as “Persons engaging in structured and nonstructured activity programs at the (health) club at least 5 days per week for a minimum of 15 hours per week over the past 20 weeks” (Anshel, 1992). Based on these criteria further studies have tried to find out the correlations between addictive exercise behaviour and other possible psychological conditions, although it had been argued that this approach may fail to distinguish between committed exercise and problematic exercise addiction which tend to hide the problem. The previous category has critical attitudinal, motivational, and emotional parameters, while the later has behavioral correlates. Thus problem addicted exercisers demonstrate psychological traits of dependence, so that they feel irritable when they cannot exercise for some reasons. This indicates that they experience withdrawal symptoms. It has been reported that these individuals characteristically suffer from anxiety or depression when unable to exercise, which can serve as a sufficient indicator of exercise dependence (Veale, 1987). The clout of confusion surrounding this issue is further aggravated due to the fact that many studies failed to recognize associated factors considering empirically exercise addiction to be a primary disorder. However, the fact is that exercise addiction with obligatory exercise patterns reveal withdrawal symptoms, stereotyped behavior, and problems with social functioning in the absence of exercise. Excessive exercising of addictive patterns commonly co-occur with eating disorders. This has led to the postulation that exercise addiction may be largely an expression of an eating disorder (Brewerton et al., 1995). On the contrary, many studies have failed to include the factor of eating disorder as an association with compulsive exercise behaviour. To solve this problem Veale et al. (1995) have proposed diagnostic criteria for differentiating primary and secondary exercise dependence in order to diagnose other dependence syndromes. Bamber et al. (2000b) commented that apart from eating disorders, there are several such coincidences of psychological significance that may have an impact on exercise addiction. They referred to Veale et al. (1995b) paper to justify the need for recognition of these secondary co-occurrences where excessive and impulsive exercise dependences to be an associated phenomenon of these disorders. While Veale criteria classify the criteria into primary and secondary exercise dependence, later studies indicated addictive exercise patterns to be an associated entity to eating disorders, which is more common (Bamber et al. 2000b). The gender difference in exercise behaviour has been indicated from the aetiological perspective in other studies. Disordered eating behaviour has been explained psychologically to be a strategy to change body image in the young. Researchers have shown that both boys and girls attempt to alter their body images in order to attain an ideal body type that may be reinforced by the society. While girls strive to attain a slender body type for cultural ideals, boys may be attempting to attain a masculine muscular body type. This indicates exercise behaviour and compliance may be due to different reasons in different genders. Therefore to investigate these behaviors in different genders, it would need different instruments that would attempt to investigate the psychology behind the nature of body dissatisfaction and associated eating psychology, especially relevant to college going youth (Ricciardelli et al., 2000). McCabe and Ricciardelli (2001) indicated that the reason the boys pursue exercise is due to increase the muscle size of their bodies, whereas in case of girls as indicated by Middlemann et al. (1998), the girls exercise to lose weight. These reinforce the need to develop studies with different scales to investigate excessive addictive exercise among the youth so a predictive value can be assigned to these parameters which can detect the possible adverse outcomes of exercise on the health of different genders. Studies have reported abnormal behavioral responses in the form of binge eating or increased rigidity around eating. Exercise, especially excessive and impulsive exercise is also known to induce psychological conflicts between feelings about the need to continue exercising and feelings about need for some respite. Those who are addicted to exercises put exercise before socializing, and they often suffer from insomnia. Eating disorder has been consistently reported in these individuals (Bamber et al., 2003). For the methodology of these studies, it has been recommended that quantitative approaches may fail to generate a complete understanding of this issue, while qualitative methods have been increasingly being applied in the context of studies involving sports and exercise psychology. This approach based on the theoretical framework of grounded theory can be framed into rigorous design in order to yield reliable and valid conclusions (Johnston and Carroll, 1998). The grounded theory framework indicates that while examining a concept, the bias of commitment to a preexisting theory regarding a phenomenon can be eliminated, and it is expected that interpretation of experiences of the participants would lead to the theory or a better understanding of the phenomenon (Charmaz, 1990). Other authors who have performed studies through a quantitative method have recommended a qualitative design with constructionist revision since prior perspectives of researchers can build on the previous conceptualisations of theories of exercise addiction leading to further development and progression (Henwood and Pidgeon, 1995). Therefore the constructionist revision of grounded theory approach will be employed in this study where ideas of predictable associations other psychologic factors about exercise addiction will be tested based on prior quantitative analyses with acceptance of qualitative design to allow emergence of new themes that might be explored, and it is expected that this framework would yield systematically and rigorously the phenomenon of exercise addiction and its connections with gender, eating disorder, reason for exercise, and anxiety. Hypothesis Gender difference, reason for exercise, eating behavior, and anxiety are predictors of exercise addiction in college students. Aim of the Study The aim or objective of the study is to find out whether there are gender specific tendencies towards exercise addiction among registered gym members of college students and the possible role of reason for exercise, eating behaviour, and anxiety. Materials and Methods Design I will be doing a parametric test using a cross sectional regression design to analyse what effects the independent or predictor variables eating habits, reason for exercise, and trait anxiety influences the dependent or criterion variable which in this research will be exercise addiction. The scale which will be used to measure exercise addiction will be the obligatory exercise addiction inventory questionnaire (EAI). Eating habits will be measured by using the Dutch Eating Behaviours Questionnaire (DEBQ). Reason for exercise will be measured by using the Exercise Motivation Inventory-2 Questionnaire (EMI-2), and Anxiety will be measured by using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire. T he data for this study will be collected from a sample consisting of N=100 (50 males and 50 females) healthy gym members selected randomly from a university gym. Participants will be within the age ranging from 20 to 40 yrs. Members who are athletes, have medical conditions such as heart disease, pregnancy, hypertension etc. or who are considered to be potentially suffering anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa will be excluded. Materials Participants will be given four questionnaires to complete; The Exercise Addiction Inventory Questionnaire (EAI; Tery et al., 2004); The Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ; Van Strien, 2002); Self Esteem Questionnaire; and the Modified State Anxiety Scale. Exercise is very good but like all things it becomes not very good when done excessively. The EAI was used a self-report measure to assess the level of exercise for each participant. This test consists of six questions with a point value scale of 1-5 for each question, 1-mean you “strongly disagree”, 2-means you “disagree”, 3-means you are “neutral”, 4-means you “agree”, and 5-means you “strongly agree”. The six statements on the AEI questionnaire are based around Griffith’s (1997) components model of behavioural addiction. A continuously high score on the AEI indicates addictive tendencies. Tery et al. (2004) for diagnostic purposes specified nominal cut of scores for this analysis. A score between 6-12 is said to be an indication of an asymptomatic individual; a score between 13-25 is said to be an indication of a symptomatic individual; and a score between 24-30 indicates an individual is at ricks of been addicted to exercise. Compared to the obligatory questionnaire (OEQ; Pasman and Thompson, 1988), r=.80 (p Read More