Relationship between internet use, physical exercise, appearence anxiety, and the use of supplements to improve image and performance: a national study

Moura, Rita Soares de Oliveira Azevedo

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/29699

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Authors

Moura, Rita Soares de Oliveira Azevedo

Advisor(s)

Dores, Artemisa Rocha

Abstract(s)

Internet changes daily life. Sometimes, ikts use could lead to an incessante quest to achive the perfect appearance. The aims of this study were to study internet use, addiction to exercise, appearance anxiety and the use of image and performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs), correlation between those variables and differences between sexes. The participants responded to na online survey, consisting of questions about sociodemographic characteristics, the nine-item problematic internet use questionnaire (PIUQ-9), the exrecise addiction inventory (EAI), the appearance anxiety inventory (AAI), and questions about the use od IPEDs. This study comprised 375 participants, of which 74,4% were women (n=274), with a median age of 39.00 (P75=48.00; P25=26.00). The results showed high percentages of risk of PUI (37,6%), addiction to exercise (27.2%), appearance anxiety (20.0%) and consumtion of IPEDs (22.1%). The logistic regression analysis revealed that those above the cut-off point in EAI and AAI total scores were more at risk of using IPEDs. Although the internet could make daily life easier, our results showed that when it becomes problematic it could be correlated with appearance anxiety and exercise addiction. This study helps to better understand this phenomenon allowing the development of appropriate inteventions and preventive measures.