Compulsive exercise among college students: 5-year time trends in prevalence and demographic, substance use, and mental health correlates

Examining compulsive exercise as a risk factor for eating disorder symptoms in first-year college students using a latent change score modeling approach

OBJECTIVE

Research suggests that both compulsive exercise and eating disordered behaviors increase during college. Despite strong cross-sectional associations between compulsive exercise and eating disorders, it is unknown if compulsive exercise is a variable risk factor for eating disorders or simply a correlate. It was hypothesized that increases in compulsive exercise would significantly and prospectively predict increases in overall number of eating disorder symptoms over the study period.

METHOD

A total of 265 first year college students who did not meet criteria for a full or subthreshold eating disorder diagnosis at Time 1 (age M = 18.15; SD = 0.42; 122 female [46%] at Time 1) completed reports of compulsive exercise and eating disorder symptoms via online questionnaires at four timepoints over the 9-month 2021-2022 academic year (76% retention rate). Hypotheses were tested using a bivariate latent change score model.

RESULTS

Hypotheses were not supported. Change in compulsive exercise did not predict change in number of eating disorder symptoms. Change in number of eating disorder symptoms also did not predict change in compulsive exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

Compulsive exercise did not emerge as a variable risk factor for the development of eating disorder symptoms among first year college students. The relationship between these behaviors should be investigated at different developmental timepoints, such as early adolescence, and potential third variables that may explain the observed co-occurrence should be explored.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

This study investigated whether increases in compulsive exercise predicted increases in number of eating disorder symptoms among first year college students. Compulsive exercise did not significantly predict number of eating disorder symptoms. Additional research is warranted to clarify the relationship between compulsive exercise and eating disorder symptoms.

Gender differences in compulsive exercise facets and their associations with eating disorder symptoms

Compulsive exercise (CE) is a core symptom of eating disorders (EDs) that is common in undergraduate men and women. Importantly, CE is a multidimensional construct, and certain facets of CE (i.e., exercise to control weight or to avoid negative affect associated with missed exercise) are more strongly associated with ED symptoms in undergraduate women than others. However, less is known about how CE facets relate to ED symptoms in men. This study examined: 1) gender differences in levels of CE facets, assessed using the Compulsive Exercise Test (CET); 2) whether specific CE facets independently relate to ED symptoms; and 3) whether gender moderates these relationships. Five hundred and ninety-one university students (58.5 % men) completed the CET and Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory. Women reported significantly greater weight control exercise, exercise for mood improvement, lack of exercise enjoyment, body dissatisfaction, and purging than men, while men reported more muscle building than women. CE motivated by avoidance of negative emotions and performed in a rule-driven manner and weight control CE were associated with the greatest number of ED symptoms. Further, rigid exercise routines were associated with greater muscle building. Women with greater weight control CE experienced more body dissatisfaction, and women with more CE motivated by avoidance of negative emotions experienced more restriction, compared to men. Overall, specific CE facets relate to ED symptoms in men and women. Findings highlight the importance of interventions designed to target unhealthy exercise motivations and of cultivating healthy attitudes towards exercise across genders.

Sociocultural predictors of obligatory exercise in young men: A Polish-Chinese comparison

Background

Obligatory exercise has been shown to have negative physical and mental effects on exercisers and is more prevalent among young people. However, there is limited research on obligatory exercise among young men. Social comparison theory offers a novel perspective to explore the relationship between sociocultural factors and obligatory exercise among young men, which offers an opportunity to understand potential factors contributing to obligatory exercise among young men across different cultures.

Method

We recruited a purposive sample of young people aged 18-30 from Poland (n=79) and China (n=194). Participants completed self-report measures including the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire3, Inventory of Physical Activity Objectives, and Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire. In the data analysis stage, we examined the strength of the relationships between the independent variables and the dependent variable through multiple regression analysis, and tested the role of the mediating variables.

Results

The main analyses revealed that Internalization-Athlete was a common direct predictor of obligatory exercise for both Polish and Chinese young men; that there were direct sociocultural predictors of obligatory exercise that were only used in relation to Polish or Chinese young men; and that social adaptation goals for motivation for physical activity mediated the development of obligatory exercise for Polish and Chinese young men, and that there were cross-cultural differences.

Conclusion

Attention should be paid to their attitudes towards the idea of a muscular and athletic body and socially adapted physical activity motivations when understanding young men's obligatory exercise, while also considering cross-cultural differences.

The Mediating Role of Eating Attitudes in Sociocultural Attitudes toward the Body in Predicting Obligatory Exercise among Young People: A Polish and Chinese Comparison

The main aims of this study were to determine which sociocultural predictors of obligatory exercise are universal for young men or women and which are specific to particular cultural conditions (Polish or Chinese culture) and to examine the mediating role of eating attitudes. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Poles (n = 259) and Chinese (n = 208) aged 18 to 30. Descriptive and comparative statistics, Spearman's rho, and multiple regression analysis were used. The main analyses showed that Internalization-Athlete was a common positive direct predictor of obligatory exercise among young Polish and Chinese women; Information and Internalization-Athlete were only specific direct positive predictors of obligatory exercise in young Chinese men; some variables in eating attitudes mediated the development of obligatory exercise in young Polish and Chinese men and women and indicated that there were cross-cultural differences. In understanding obligatory exercise among young people, attention should be paid to their sociocultural attitudes toward the body and eating, and cultural and gender differences need to be considered.

Under pressure to exercise: a cross-sectional study of characteristics and predictors of compulsive exercise in early adolescents

BACKGROUND

To investigate the frequency of compulsive exercise among early adolescents, and determine the associated impact of sex, physical activity level, exercise habits, motivational regulation, dieting behaviour and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) on compulsive exercise.

METHODS

Cross-sectional design with 8th grade adolescents (n = 572, mean ± SD age 13.9 ± 0.3 yrs). Outcome assessment was compulsive exercise (Compulsive Exercise Test, CET). Total CET score ≥ 15 was defined as clinical CET score. Further assessment included exercise motivation (Behavioural Regulation of Exercise Questionnaire-2), HRQoL (KIDSCREEN 27), accelerometer-assessed physical activity and Andersen test for cardiorespiratory fitness. Exercise obsession was defined as clinical CET score and < 60 min/day with moderate-to-vigorous objectively assessed physical activity.

RESULTS

Small sex differences were found for CET total score. Seven percent of the adolescents were classified with clinical CET score, and four percent with exercise obsession. Adolescents with clinical CET score had higher body mass index, more weight loss attempts, and lower physical fitness compared to adolescents with non-clinical CET score. Being a boy, higher scores on introjected motivational regulation and HRQOL subscale parent relation and autonomy, use of exercise monitoring tool, and number of weight loss attempt the past 12 months explained 39% of the total CET score variance. Physical activity level did not predict compulsive exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

Compulsive exercise in early adolescents was predicted by exercise motivation, exercise habit, and dieting, but not physical activity level. This implicates a distinction of obsessive cognitions about physical activity from performed physical activity in adolescents, and that such cognitions must be addressed in future initiatives that aim to improve adolescents' general physical activity level, health, and wellbeing. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03906851. Although there is a huge concern about adolescents being insufficiently physically active, there are also adolescents who struggle with issues of compulsive exercise. The issues of compulsive exercise have been rarely studied in adolescents. We therefore aimed to describe compulsive exercise and factors that were associated with and could explain presence of compulsive exercise. A total of 572 8th graders (age 13.9 ± 0.3 yrs) responded to this study. We found that the score on compulsive exercise was higher in boys than in girls, and that adolescents with high score on compulsive exercise had higher body mass index, more weight loss attempts, and lower physical fitness compared to adolescents with low score on compulsive exercise. Also, we found that exercise obsessions, i.e., thinking of exercise without actually exercising, was present in four percent of the respondents. Being a boy, attempting weight loss, exercising to avoid shame/guilt, and exercising for the perceived value of exercise predicted compulsive exercise. Awareness of the compulsive exercise and exercise obsessions is important in public health initiatives that aim to increase adolescents' physical activity level.

Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations as moderators of the association between exercise frequency and exercise behavior

PURPOSE

Motivations underlying exercise may contribute to the extent to which exercise is maladaptive, independent of exercise frequency. Extrinsic and intrinsic exercise motivation may independently moderate associations between exercise frequency and 1) compulsive and 2) healthy exercise. It was expected that among individuals with high extrinsic motivation, greater exercise frequency would be associated with more compulsive exercise, whereas among individuals with high intrinsic motivation, greater exercise frequency would be associated with more healthy exercise.

METHODS

A total of 446 university students (50.9% female; 67.0% White) completed measures of intrinsic and extrinsic exercise motivations, exercise frequency, compulsive exercise, and healthy exercise. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for exercise were entered as simultaneous independent moderators of the associations between exercise frequency and 1) compulsive exercise and 2) healthy exercise in multiple linear regressions.

RESULTS

Moderation effects of exercise motivation were not supported for compulsive exercise. Only main effects of frequency (b = 0.04, p < 0.01) and extrinsic motivation (b = 0.27, p < 0.01) were observed. Intrinsic motivation moderated the association between frequency and healthy exercise (b = -0.02, p = 0.03). Among individuals with lower intrinsic motivation, greater frequency was related to more healthy exercise. This association was significantly weaker among individuals with high intrinsic motivation.

CONCLUSION

Consistent with theory and extant work, extrinsic motivation was associated with compulsive exercise, while intrinsic motivation was associated with healthy exercise. Clinically, assessing the extent to which exercise is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated may help identify whether individuals may be more likely to engage in compulsive versus healthy exercise. Results support the importance of exploring the exercise motivations as predictors of compulsive and healthy exercise.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.

Body image and compulsive exercise: are there associations with depression among university students?

PURPOSE

Mental health problems among university students have been reported to be significantly increasing and suggested to be associated with college drop-out. Body dissatisfaction and compulsive exercise are both constructs relevant for mental health problems in general and eating disorders in particular. This study examined associations between body dissatisfaction, compulsive exercise and self-reported symptoms of depression among Swedish university students.

METHODS

Participants (n = 4262) are students in an ongoing cohort study, and data from the baseline assessment were used. Four linear regression models were built to explore the associations between body dissatisfaction, compulsive weight control exercise and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Our findings showed that females reported higher levels of body dissatisfaction than males. Body dissatisfaction and compulsive exercise were associated with self-reported symptoms of depression in this non-clinical population. Results showed that compulsive exercise was negatively associated with reported symptoms of depression, while body dissatisfaction was positively associated with symptoms of depression.

CONCLUSION

In line with previous research, there was a gender difference in body dissatisfaction where females displayed higher levels of dissatisfaction than males.  Body dissatisfaction was  positively associated with reported symptoms of depression, suggesting support of previous research indicating body dissatisfaction to increase mental health problems. Compulsive exercise was negatively associated with symptoms of depression suggesting a behavior negatively reinforced, supporting both constructs to be of interest for reported symptoms of depression in a non-clinical population of Swedish university students.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III, cohort study.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ID : NCT04465435.

Characterizing cheat meals among a national sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults

BACKGROUND

"Cheat meals", described as brief eating episodes that depart from established dietary practices to consume prohibited foods, represent a novel and increasingly common eating behavior with particular salience in adolescence and young adulthood. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding the frequency and characterization of foods and calories consumed during cheat meals, and their associations with eating disorder behaviors and psychopathology. Thus, the aims of this study were to delineate engagement in cheat meals among a large, national sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults.

METHODS

Participants (N = 2,717) were from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors. Frequencies of engagement in cheat meals, and associated foods and calories consumed, in the past 12 months and 30 days were determined. The associations between engagement in cheat meals and eating disorder behaviors and psychopathology were determined using modified Poisson regression analyses.

RESULTS

Engagement in cheat meals in the past 12 months was highest among men (60.9%) compared to women (53.7%) and transgender/gender non-conforming (TGNC; 52.5%) participants. Cheat meals consisting between 1,000 and 1,499 cal were those most frequently reported among all participants. Mean number of cheat meals in the past 12 months was equivalent to > 1 per week, which was similar to engagement in the past 30 days. Finally, engagement in cheat meals in the past 12 months and 30 days was associated with patterns of eating disorder behaviors and psychopathology among all participants, including binge-eating-related behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further characterized and extended knowledge of cheat meal engagement across genders, aligning with prior research by demonstrating that engagement is associated with greater eating disorder psychopathology. Findings from this study add to the growing characterization of the novel behavioral phenomenon of cheat meals. Specifically, over half of adolescents and young adults across all 13 provinces and territories in Canada reported engaging in > 1 cal dense cheat meal per week, over the past 12 months. Despite the normalization and promotion of cheat meal engagement among the general public and unique fitness communities, engagement in this behavior is linked to greater eating disorder behaviors and psychopathology, including binge-eating episodes. Our findings emphasize the need for further research, public awareness, and clinical interventions aimed at addressing this potentially harmful eating behavior.

Exploring the Link Between Self-compassion and Compulsive Exercise Amongst Women

Objectives

Self-compassion, defined as the ability to be accepting and loving towards oneself, has been identified as a potential protective factor against the development of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders (ED). In contrast, compulsive exercise is a core feature in the development and progression of EDs and is often employed as a maladaptive coping strategy for negative emotions and body image concerns. However, the relationships between self-compassion and compulsive exercise attitudes and behaviours are as yet unexplored.

Methods

A total of 539 Spanish female university students (Mage = 20.03, SD = 2.22) completed measures of compulsive exercise, frequency of compensatory exercise, self-compassion, eating disorder symptoms, and anxiety and depression.

Results

Hierarchical multiple regressions showed that lower levels of self-compassion significantly predicted some compulsive exercise elements (namely, weight control exercise and lack of exercise enjoyment) after controlling for ED symptoms, anxiety, depression and age. However, frequency of compensatory exercise was unrelated to self-compassion elements. Findings from the mediation models suggest an indirect effect of self-compassion on the association between compulsive exercise and ED symptoms.

Conclusions

The findings suggest a significant link between low self-compassion and greater harmful exercise attitudes and behaviours towards exercise. Further research is needed to clarify whether self-compassion may be a core feature in the development and maintenance of harmful attitudes and behaviours towards exercise.

Compulsive exercise and vaping among a sample of U.S. College students aged 18-26 years

PURPOSE

To determine the association between compulsive exercise and vaping among college students aged 18-26 years, and to characterize the type of vaping used among participants who report compulsive exercise.

METHODS

Cross-sectional, pooled data from two survey years (2018-2020; N = 2125) of the national (U.S.) Healthy Minds Study were analyzed. Compulsive exercise was measured based on number of occurrences in the past 28 days (analyzed continuously and among those who reported  ≥ 1 and ≥ 20 occurrences). Vaping was measured based on reported use in the past 30 days. Most recent type of vaping was assessed only among participants who reported vaping. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the associations between compulsive exercise and vaping, while adjusting for covariates.

RESULTS

For every additional occurrence of compulsive exercise reported by participants, their odds of also reporting vaping increased by 5% (95% CI 1.01-1.09). Participants who reported 20 or more occurrences of compulsive exercise in the past 28 days, a clinical threshold, had 3.71 (95% CI 1.28-10.76) higher odds of vaping in the past 30 days. Among participants who endorsed vaping, nicotine vaping was the most common recent type for those who reported any (76.2%) or 20 or more (50.2%) occurrences of compulsive exercise.

CONCLUSION

Compulsive exercise is associated with vaping in a national, U.S. sample of college students, with nicotine vaping being the most common type used. Screening for both compulsive exercise and vaping, particularly if either is reported, among college-age young adults is necessary to implement prevention and intervention strategies.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Emotion Dysregulation as a Mediator of the Relationship between Anxiety, Compulsive Exercise and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Adolescents

Anxiety has been suggested to be a key contributing factor for compulsive exercise, however, existing literature has demonstrated contradictory relationships between anxiety and compulsive exercise among adolescents. According to the Emotional Cascade Model (ECM), factors such as rumination and emotional suppression may mediate the association between affect and exercise. The current study therefore aimed to investigate whether rumination and emotional suppression mediate the relationship between anxiety and compulsive exercise in predicting ED symptoms in adolescents. Questionnaires assessing compulsive exercise, anxiety, depressive rumination, emotional suppression, and ED symptoms were completed by 212 adolescent males (Mage = 13.39, SD = 1.22) and 189 adolescent females (Mage = 13.64, SD = 1.29). The structural equation model showed indirect effects between anxiety and compulsive exercise through rumination and emotional suppression in males but not in females. Moreover, anxiety had an indirect effect on eating disorder symptoms through rumination, emotional suppression and compulsive exercise in both males and females. In line with ECM, the results suggest that rumination and emotional suppression may have a key role in the association between anxiety, compulsive exercise and eating disorder symptoms in adolescents. These findings suggest that compulsive exercise may be used as a dysfunctional coping mechanism to escape from a negative emotional cascade generated by the interaction of anxiety, rumination and emotional suppression. Future longitudinal studies to test the role of compulsive exercise as a dysfunctional behaviour in the ECM are needed.