Abstract

ESCOTO PONCE DE LEON, María del Consuelo et al. Relationship between self-esteem and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia in male bodybuilders. Rev. Mex. de trastor. aliment [online]. 2012, vol.3, n.1, pp.11-18. ISSN 2007-1523.

The purposes of this study were to identify the symptoms of muscle dysmorphia in four groups of men; compare the self-esteem among groups with high, moderate and low drive for muscularity; and evaluate the relationship between these variables. The sample included 295 men aged 15 to 63 years-old (57 competitors bodybuilders, 40 not competitors, 47 gym users, and 151 sedentary) who answered the Drive for Muscularity Scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results indicated that 43.9% of competitors bodybuilders, 27.5% non-competitors bodybuilders, 10.6% of gym users, and 1.3% of sedentary had symptoms of muscle dysmorphia. Covariance analysis, controlling for age, indicated that participants with lower self-esteem were those who scored higher on drive for muscularity, compared with those with moderate and low self-esteem. Finally, there was a significant and negative correlation between self-esteem and drive for muscularity, however, these results do not reveal whether self-esteem is a precursor or a consequence of drive for muscularity, so that future studies could longitudinally investigate the role of self-esteem in the development of drive for muscularity.

Keywords : muscle dysmorphia; self-esteem; men; bodybuilders; exercise.