A systematic review of studies comparing body image concerns among female college athletes and non-athletes, 1997–2012

•This review compares body image among collegiate female athletes to non-athletes.•More versus less competitive athletes might be at greater risk for BIC.•Athletes in feminine sports report at least similar levels of BIC as non-athletes.•Athletes in endurance sports appear to have better body image than non-athletes.•Research among athletes on how BIC is related to sexual objectification is lacking.

Research prior to 2001 indicated that athletes experienced better body image than non-athletes, with no differences among sport types. Since then, female athletes have become increasingly sexually objectified in the media, and the sociocultural beauty ideal has shifted to emphasize appearing both athletic and thin. Part I of this paper explores the literature describing these changes. Part II presents a systematic and comprehensive literature review of 10 recent studies comparing body image concerns (BIC) among collegiate female athletes and non-athletes to identify the current status of BIC in female athletes. Findings indicate that involvement in collegiate athletics provides some protection from BIC; however, this protection appears attenuated for athletes in more feminine sports (e.g., gymnastics), and higher level athletes (Division I). Researchers should examine how sociocultural pressures unrelated to competition predict female athletes’ BIC using measures that focus on objectification, positive body image, body functionality, and thin- and athletic-ideal internalization.