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Purpose:This narrative explores the lived experience of a young woman, Rebecca, and her transitioned body image after sustaining and being treated for a spinal cord injury. Method:Data were collected from a single semi-structured in-depth interview. Results:Rebecca disclosed her transitioned body image experiences after sustaining a spinal cord injury and being treated by medical staff immediately following her injury. Before her injury, she described a holistic body experience and named this experience her “temple”. During intensive care in the hospital, she explained her body was treated as an object. The disconnected treatment of her body led to a loss of the private self, as she described her sacred body being stripped away – her “temple” lost and in ruins. Conclusions:Body image may be an overlooked component of health following a spinal cord injury. This narrative emphasizes the importance of unveiling body image experiences after the treatment of a spinal cord injury to medical professionals. Lessons of the importance of considering the transitioned body experiences after a spinal cord injury may help prevent body-related depression and other subsequent health impacts. Recommendations for best practice are provided.Implications for Rehabilitation   Spinal Cord Injury  • A spinal cord injury may drastically change a person’s body image, thereby significantly impacting psychological health  • More effective screening for body image within the medical/rehabilitation context is needed to help practitioners recognize distress  • Practitioners should be prepared to refer clients to distress hotlines they may need once released from treatment [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The relationship between social physique anxiety (SPA) and physical activity has been inconsistent, with studies showing positive, negative, and no relationship between them. The present study investigated whether self-presentational efficacy moderated the relationship between SPA and physical activity behaviour in university students, as it does in other samples. University students (208 women and 125 men) completed measures of SPE, trait SPA, and moderate-vigorous physical activity. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis showed no evidence of moderation. For women, both self-presentational efficacy expectancy (SPEE) and self-presentational outcome value positively predicted moderate-vigorous physical activity, with efficacy expectancy accounting for greater variance. For men, only SPEE was a significant predictor. It may be effective to increase SPEE in university students to encourage greater physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background/Study Context: Indirect evidence suggests that concerns over the impressions made on others (self-presentational concerns) may be associated with balance-related outcomes in older adults, but no empirical evidence exists to support this speculation. The present study examined the relationship between self-presentational concerns (social anxiety, social physique anxiety, and self-presentational efficacy) and functional mobility, accounting for age, balance confidence, falls, and muscle strength. Methods: Healthy women (60 years or older; N = 187) completed measures of self-presentational concerns, balance confidence, and fall history, and performed the timed up and go (TUG) test and a test of leg strength. Bivariate correlations were conducted. A hierarchical regression predicted TUG duration from the three self-presentational concerns, controlling for age, balance confidence, falls, and muscle strength to examine the unique variance in TUG duration explained by self-presentational concerns. Results: Self-presentational efficacy was a significant predictor of TUG duration over and above that of age, balance confidence, falls, and muscle strength. The results also showed significant correlations between social anxiety and self-presentational efficacy and TUG duration, between all three self-presentational concerns and balance confidence, and between social physique anxiety and self-presentational efficacy and falls. Conclusions: Research is needed to examine the causal relationship between these outcomes. Investigating self-presentational concerns in older women may provide novel ways to impact balance-related outcomes in this population. Practical implications for clinicians are discussed, as the social and physical environment may influence self-presentational concerns in this population and subsequently impact assessment and treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the impact of the exercise leader's gender on the self-presentational concerns of women in a live exercise class. Eighty-seven college-aged non- or infrequent exercisers participated in a group exercise class led by either a female or male instructor. Participants completed measures of Self-Presentational Efficacy (SPE), State Social Anxiety (SSA) and State Social Physique Anxiety (SPA-S) prior to and following completion of a group exercise class. A repeated measures Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), with time as the within-subjects factor and leader gender as the between-subjects factor, was conducted. A significant main effect for time was found (F(3, 80) = 19.65, p < 0.001). Estimated marginal means indicated that all participants reported significantly higher SPE and lower SSA and SPA-S post-exercise. Completing an exercise class may override any self-presentational concerns that can arise from the exercise environment. Future studies should adopt ecologically valid research designs to gain a clearer picture of self-presentational concerns in exercise classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the relationship between exercise regulations varying in self-determination and exercise imagery in Canada. Measures of exercise regulations and exercise imagery; Endorsement of intrinsic and identified exercise regulations; Use of appearance-related exercise imagery.