Physical activity and body image among men and boys: A meta-analysis

- Physical activity and body image are positively associated among men.
- The age of participants may moderate the relationship.
- The intensity of physical activity may moderate the relationship.
- The mode of physical activity does not appear to moderate the relationship.
- Research is needed to further understand moderating and mediating variables.

Three meta-analytic reviews have concluded that physical activity is positively related to body image. Historically, research regarding physical activity and body image has been disproportionately focused on female samples. For example, the most recent meta-analysis (2009) extracted 56 effect sizes for women and only 12 for men. The current paper provides an update to the literature regarding the relationship between physical activity and body image among men and boys across 84 individual effect sizes. The analysis also provides insight regarding moderator variables including participant age, and physical activity type and intensity. Overall, physical activity was positively related to body image among men and boys with various moderator variables warranting further investigation. Pragmatic implications are discussed as well as the limitations within existing research and need for additional research to further understand moderator and mediator variables.