title: Participation in aesthetic sports and girls' weight concerns at ages 5 and 7 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationship between participation in aesthetic, or appearance-oriented, sports and weight concerns was assessed among young girls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were part of a larger longitudinal study and included 197 and 192 girls and their mothers when girls were 5 and 7 years, respectively. At each age, girls' weight concerns and sport participation were assessed and girls were classified as participating in aesthetic sports (dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, baton twirling, swimming, aerobics, figure skating), non-aesthetic sports (volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball, hockey, tennis, martial arts, track) or no sports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Girls in the aesthetic sport group reported higher weight concerns than girls in the nonaesthetic and no sport groups at ages 5 and 7 years. In addition, girls participating in aesthetic sports at ages 5 and 7 years reported the highest weight concerns at age 7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participation in aesthetic, or appearance-oriented, sports may foster a heightened focus on weight and body shape among girls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Kirsten Krahnstoever
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Davison
authors.forename: Mandy B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Earnest
authors.forename: Leann L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Birch
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States