Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
University of Tehran
2
Alborz Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3
Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
4
Department of Pathology and Corrective Exercises (Health and Sports Medicine), Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22089/smj.2025.18126.1816
Abstract
Injuries are an inseparable aspect of sports and represent a significant event in the lives of athletes, yet the psychological dimension of injuries has received less attention. Body image, as a psychological characteristic, may be influenced in injured athletes. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare body image and its subscales between healthy and injured athletes. The participants included 403 athletes (282 healthy and 121 injured) from various sports such as football, futsal, volleyball, basketball, karate, taekwondo, gymnastics, and bodybuilding, aged between 14 and 30 years, who voluntarily participated in the study. The short form of the Marsh (2010) Body Self-Description Questionnaire was utilized to assess body image. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and one-way multivariate analysis of variance were employed for data analysis.
The results indicated a significant difference in body image between healthy and injured athletes. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in the subscales of strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, physical activity, athletic competence, health, self-esteem, and overall body status between the two groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, an increase in the severity of injury was associated with a decrease in body image. Therefore, based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that sports injuries negatively impact athletes' body image, and the inactivity resulting from these injuries can lead to both physical and psychological changes, altering the perceived body image among athletes.
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