title: Puberty and physical self-perceptions of competitive female figure skaters: an interdisciplinary approach.
abstract: This study considered the interrelationships among biological maturation and its physical correlates, social physique anxiety, and appearance-related physical self-perceptions in 113 adolescent female figure skaters participating in solo (n = 73) or partner contexts (n = 40). Participants were interviewed about their menarcheal status, underwent a battery of anthropometric measurements, and completed the Physical Self Description Questionnaire and the Social Physique Anxiety Scale. Menarcheal status was a stronger correlate of physical self-perceptions than age. A combination of biological and psychological characteristics accounted for 25% of the variance in appearance-related physical self-perceptions. Younger, premenarcheal, ectomorphic skaters reporting lower social physique anxiety were more satisfied with their body fat and sport competence but reported lower self-esteem, global physical self-concept, and appearance scores. Skating context did not predict physical self-perceptions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29208, USA. evadocz@gwm.sc.edu
authors.forename: Eva V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Monsma
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Malina
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Feltz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011627:Puberty / Q000523:psychology; D012861:Skating / Q000523:psychology; D013008:Somatotypes; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires