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Article
Gender Differences in Exercise Dependence and Eating Disorders in Young Adults: A Path Analysis of a Conceptual Model
Faculty Publications
  • Tevni Grajales, Andrews University
  • Shelli Meulemans, Andrews University
  • Peter Pribis, University of New Mexio
  • Gretchen Krivak, Andrews University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-5-2014
Disciplines
Abstract

Abstract: The purpose of our study was to study the prevalence of exercise dependence (EXD) among college students and to investigate the role of EXD and gender on exercise behavior and eating disorders. Excessive exercise can become an addiction known as exercise dependence. In our population of 517 college students, 3.3% were at risk for EXD and 8% were at risk for an eating disorder. We used Path analysis the simplest case of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to investigate the role of EXD and exercise behavior on eating disorders. We observed a small direct effect from gender to eating disorders. In females we observed significant direct effect between exercise behavior (r = −0.17, p = 0.009) and EXD (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) on eating pathology. We also observed an indirect effect of exercise behavior on eating pathology (r = 0.16) through EXD (r = 0.48, r2 = 0.23, p < 0.001). In females the total variance of eating pathology explained by the SEM model was 9%. In males we observed a direct effect between EXD (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) on eating pathology. We also observed indirect effect of exercise behavior on eating pathology (r = 0.11) through EXD (r = 0.49, r2 = 0.24, p < 0.001). In males the total variance of eating pathology explained by the SEM model was 5%.

Journal Title
Nutrients
Acknowledgements
Retrieved September 15, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4245570/pdf/nutrients-06-04895.pdf
Citation Information
Tevni Grajales, Shelli Meulemans, Peter Pribis and Gretchen Krivak. "Gender Differences in Exercise Dependence and Eating Disorders in Young Adults: A Path Analysis of a Conceptual Model" Vol. 6 Iss. 11 (2014) p. 4895 - 4905
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/tevni_grajales/3/