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Received: 5 December 2024
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Published: 8 January 2025
Citation: Rusu, L.; Piele, D.; Ilie, E.;
Ionescu, G.; Marin, M.I.; Rusu, M.R.;
Calina, M.L. The Relationship Between
Body Composition, Physical Activity,
Self-Esteem, and Body Image in
Female and Male Adolescents. Sports
2025,13, 11. https://doi.org/
10.3390/sports13010011
Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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licenses/by/4.0/).
Article
The Relationship Between Body Composition, Physical Activity,
Self-Esteem, and Body Image in Female and Male Adolescents
Ligia Rusu †, Denisa Piele †, Eva Ilie †, Gheorghe Ionescu †, Mihnea Ion Marin *, † , Mihai Robert Rusu †
and Mirela Lucia Calina †
Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy Department, University of Craiova, 200585 Craiova, Romania;
ligia.rusu@edu.ucv.ro (L.R.); denisa.piele@edu.ucv.ro (D.P.); eva.ilie@edu.ucv.ro (E.I.);
gheorghe.ionescu@edu.ucv.ro (G.I.); mihai.rusu@edu.ucv.ro (M.R.R.); mirela.calina@edu.ucv.ro (M.L.C.)
*Correspondence: mihnea.marin@edu.ucv.ro; Tel.: +40-722118817
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract: The elements of body composition and their correlation with physical activity,
body image, and self-esteem are aspects that require in-depth studies. This link should be
seen in the context of the percentage of adipose tissue, which can be modeled via physical
activity. The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationships between the parameters
that define body composition, self-esteem, body image, and physical activity according to
gender. This study included 100 females and 100 males with an average age of 22 years. The
evaluation included anthropometric parameters, body composition, self-esteem, physical
activity index, and body image perception assessment. The results show that the males
exhibited a higher percentage of exceeding the upper limit of normal and average weight; in
contrast, there were two times more females exhibiting normal weight than those exceeding
the upper limit. Therefore, obesity was higher among males. The average fitness score
values were 69.07 for females and 76.53 for males, and the mean fitness was within normal
limits. Regarding body image, according to the BSQ, we observed that both groups were not
satisfied with and were concerned about their body shape. With respect to the Rosenberg
self-esteem scale, the average score for females was 20.27, and for males, it was 19.60; the
mean self-esteem value was 66% of the maximum value. In terms of the perceived ideal
body size assessed with the Silhouette scale, most of the females were placed at level 3, and
the males were placed at level 4. Regarding the physical activity index, females carried out
on average 1.5 days of intense physical activity over 7 days, and males were involved in
intense physical activity for 2 days. Conclusions: The degree of obesity and therefore the
risk of developing cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome were higher in males
than in females. Although males have a higher degree of obesity, self-esteem is quantified
at a higher level of confidence.
Keywords: body composition; self-esteem; adolescents; physical activity
1. Introduction
Human behavior is generally considered to be multi-dimensional and based on physi-
cal appearance and social and educational levels. Health is closely linked to maintaining
an active lifestyle; at the same time, we have to manage risk factors that are related to tissue
and functional components. In this context, the elements of body composition and their
correlation with physical activity are aspects that require in-depth studies, as there are
many questions in this regard.
Sports 2025,13, 11 https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13010011
Sports 2025,13, 11 2 of 16
The link between body composition, body mass index, and physical activity can be
seen as follows: The percentage of adipose tissue, body mass index, and abdominal circum-
ference are indicators of obesity, which can be modeled via physical activity. Moreover, the
analysis of this link in adolescents and young people can also be extrapolated to the way in
which this category of people perceives themselves in terms of body image and self-esteem,
since adolescence is a period that involves a series of physical, psychological, and social
changes associated with changes in body composition.
A cross-sectional study by Joubert [
1
] focused on the association between body image
distortions, lifestyle, and body composition in adolescents. The authors assessed body
image using the Silhouette scale, Body Shape Questionnaire, and the Sociocultural Atti-
tudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3). Some authors have analyzed the
relationship between silhouettes and the percentage of fat mass (adipose tissue calculated
via anthropometry) or body mass index [
2
,
3
]. The same authors studied body image and
its relation to a teenager’s lifestyle, which is very different from person to person. Those
who were the most dissatisfied with their body image were sedentary people, and one
of the factors negatively correlated with body image was the number of meals per day.
The conclusion of this study was that the assessment of lifestyle and body composition
requires further research; in addition, further analysis of behavioral risk factors is needed.
In many situations, adolescents do not have a sufficient and safe level of physical activity
to maintain or improve their health, which has led to this being prioritized as a public
health issue.
Weiss and Ebbeck [
4
], in their paper based on Harter’s competence motivation theory,
mention that there are typologies of the relationship between somatic and functional
parameters, age, and psychological characteristics. In their study, they discuss a model
to understand the motivation for physical activity in adolescents, which illustrates the
importance, for self-esteem, of having a certain behavior related to physical activity. Thus,
in such a model, the perception of social components and social support is considered to be
a determinant of self-perception and obtaining pleasure when engaging in physically active
behavior. Self-esteem is important in human behavior, which is multidimensional (physical,
social, and academic). Because self-perception is related to physical activity, promoting
and developing a positive attitude of self-perception are ways to develop an active lifestyle.
Self-esteem is one side of self-perception, and it also has a multidimensional structure,
which refers to sports skills, body attractiveness, and physical conditions, elements that
are, however, variable according to gender.
In the case of females, the concept is a “thin ideal”, and failure to obtain such a body
is associated with a low level of self-esteem. In contrast, males associate self-esteem with
the existence of power and strength, and physical activity is an arena in which they can
prove their masculinity.
The concept of body image includes an anthropometric assessment, an estimation
of attractiveness, and how the person perceives their body shape and size. All this is
connected with physiological, cognitive, and socio-cultural parameters. Adolescence is
a critical period in the development of body image [
5
,
6
], in which physical changes are
rapid and diverse. Accepting these changes is essential to the self-perception of body
image. Sometimes, these changes may represent risk factors for the formation of a distorted
perception of body image. For this reason, it is necessary to have interventions for the way
in which an adolescent perceives their body. These interventions are based on objective
results that reflect an identification of the factors that generate them, such as biological,
psychological, and social factors, age, and health education [
7
], as well as factors such as
body weight control and involvement in physical activity; these all require further analysis.
Sports 2025,13, 11 3 of 16
Studies, such as that of Chae et al. [
8
], have analyzed the link between BMI and
body perception, classified into two categories: underperception and equal perception.
In order to increase the accuracy of the information and details related to adolescents’
self-perception, numerous studies which would allow the development of intervention
strategies are needed.
Self-perception is considered to be related to physical activity among young people;
therefore, the development of a positive self-perception may be important in terms of the
approach to physical activity and lifestyle [9].
A complex approach to these issues is related to the correlation between self-
perception, self-esteem, and the physical activity performed in relation to fitness compo-
nents (cardiorespiratory, muscular, flexibility, body composition). Studies have examined
the relationship between physical activity, adiposity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and self-
perception in adolescents, but the relationship between physical activity, self-perception,
self-esteem, and body composition is still unclear [10].
There is international discussion about the so-called “thin ideal”, which seems to start
at the age of 9 years. Lubans et al. [
11
] proposed to analyze gender differences in terms of the
link between muscular strength, body composition, and self-perception and to evaluate the
subdomains that define self-perception, represented by the link between muscular strength,
adiposity, and how people perceive themselves physically. They concluded that there
was an inverse relationship between adiposity and physical perception in females, while
the relationship between muscle strength and physical perception was directly related in
males. The authors mention that a number of studies have tracked the relationship between
self-perception, physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and adiposity [
12
], and muscle
strength has been identified as important in determining the health status of adolescents;
thus, guidelines have been developed to promote the development of muscle strength
in children and adolescents as part of a physical activity program. The importance of
physical exercise in determining self-perception is addressed in Lubans et al. [
11
]; however,
this relationship is not fully understood and substantiated. Thus, it was observed that an
8-week exercise program indicated an improvement in anthropometric parameters and
self-perception. This means that the observed changes contributed to the shaping and
building of self-perception. However, further research is needed to provide evidence of
this effect. The study of body image is based on different methods such as interviews,
questionnaires, and silhouette perception [13].
Other studies have investigated body image using questionnaires, whose responses
were correlated with body composition. Silhouette, as an assessment method, is a form of
current body size perception (CBS), which is closely related to body fat.
In recent years, Arsandaux et al. [14] investigated self-esteem associated with factors
related to childhood/adolescence or young adulthood in male and female college students.
They found that low self-esteem was associated with these factors with special aspects
linked to parents’ support and life events, with young adulthood linked with BMI and
dissatisfaction with their social life but not physical activity. Their conclusions address
many factors related to young adulthood and show more variability among males, whereas
the opposite was observed for females.
In 2021, Stagi et.al. [
15
] published a paper regarding the association between self-
perceived body image and body composition in the sexes and in different age classes, using
Williamson’s silhouettes to assess the CBS. They determined that these are strongly related
to body fat in both sexes until an older age. The whole sample comprised mostly normal
weight individuals, including both sexes and classes of age, showing a coherent perception
of their current body size.
Sports 2025,13, 11 4 of 16
In terms of the current scientific evidence, there are not many studies that include
young people/adolescents in research on the relationship between body composition, CBS,
and physical activity in terms of gender differences. Such a study would help to develop a
strategy to increase participation in physical activity and to rethink lifestyles.
The aim of our work is to evaluate the relationships between the parameters that define
body composition, self-esteem, and body image appraisal through silhouette assessment,
the Body Shape Questionnaire, and physical activity, according to gender.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Sample
This study was conducted on 100 females and 100 males, with an average age of
20.9 years, who were students of specialization physiotherapy at the University of Craiova
(UCV). All signed provided informed consent, and the research respected the Helsinki
Declaration (version 2013) and was approved by the ethics committee of the University of
Craiova (UCV) (Ref 254/12.12.2023).
The selection of subjects was based on the following inclusion criteria:
•Young people aged 19–25,
•No chronic diseases—diabetes, metabolic syndrome,
•Ability to carry out daily activities.
The exclusion criteria were as follows:
•Neuropsychic and locomotor disorders,
•
Constant sports activity (practicing a regular sport activity, training for a specific
sport),
•Adoption of diets.
To recruit the research group, we used sampling techniques based on simple random
sampling. No participants withdrew from the research, and we analyzed the data from all
the participants.
2.2. Study Design and Instruments
This study was conducted from May to June 2024 and included the evaluation of
subjects from an anthropometric point of view (height, weight, and body mass index), body
composition assessment, self-esteem assessment, physical activity index assessment, and
body image perception assessment (Table 1).
Table 1. Stage of activities.
ITEMS May 2024 June 2024
Recruitment of the
participants x
Assessment processes x x
Data collection x x
Data analysis
The anthropometric assessment was based on height measurements, using a height
meter (stadiometer), as well as weight, body mass index, and body composition, assessed
using the InBody 230 equipment. InBody 230 utilizes bioelectrical impedance analysis
(BIA) technology to measure human body composition. The subjects were assessed under
basal conditions, in the morning, under conditions of a 12 h fasting period, with adequate
hydration, without having performed intense physical activity for 24 h prior to the assess-
ment. The parameters that were extracted and analyzed were the target weight, fitness
Sports 2025,13, 11 5 of 16
score, skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, and abdominal obesity degree. In the case of
the abdominal obesity degree, there were reference values assigned by the InBody 230
equipment, against which we reported our results.
The evaluation of self-esteem was performed using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale
(RSES) [
16
], which includes 10 items consisting of statements addressing general feelings
about oneself. The participants received a score for each of the 10 items by selecting one of
the numbers 0, 1, 2, or 3, and the total score was calculated by summing the partial scores.
Thus, the minimum total score is 0, and the maximum is 30.
Body image perception was assessed using the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-
16B) [
17
], which includes 16 items and reveals feelings about appearance over the last four
weeks. For this questionnaire, participants received a score for each of the 16 items by
selecting numbers from 1 to 6, and the total score was calculated by summing the partial
scores. The minimum score is 16, and the maximum is 96.
Additionally, body shape perception was evaluated using the Silhouette scale, which
assesses perceived ideal body size [
18
]. For this questionnaire, each participant selected one
of the 9 items. The items were ranked from 1 to 9, and the final score was determined by the
position of the selected item in the hierarchy. The minimum score is 1, and the maximum
is 9.
The level of physical activity was assessed using the Index of Physical Activity from
the International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ) short form, which includes daily
activities [
19
]. For this questionnaire, each participant recorded the number of minutes
per day (IPAQ 2, 4, 6, and 7) or the number of days per week (IPAQ 1, 3, and 5) spent on
activities associated with each of the 7 questions. The minimum value for all questions is
zero, while the maximum value for IPAQ 1, 3, and 5 is 7.
The assessment protocol collected the personal information (date of birth, previous
pathology, sport activity), measured the body composition, and applied the scales: Rosen-
berg, BSQ-16B, Silhouette, and IPAQ. All data were stored in a folder created for each
participant. Statistical analysis was applied to all the data. The evaluations were conducted
by the researcher according to GDPR rules. The next steps included measurement of height,
conceptualization by a manager, and measurement and evaluation by assistant managers,
who are physiotherapists. We conducted one assessment session for each subject, lasting
45 min.
2.3. Statistical Procedure
Differences in the average values of numerical indicators were evaluated using the
independent samples t-test with a level of significance alpha = 0.05. Pearson correlation
was used to describe the associations between all selected variables. The statistics used
included descriptive statistics of the recorded results, Pearson correlations, and inferential
statistics, all using XLStat software [20].
3. Results
3.1. Anthropometric and Body Composition Assessment
Table 2shows the mean values of the anthropometric characteristics for the two groups
of subjects.
Analyzing the data, the following observations were made:
For the females,
•
The central weight (50% of values) varied within a relatively narrow range (interquar-
tile range is 4.62 kg), indicating a homogeneous distribution;
•They had relatively similar heights within the interquartile range;
Sports 2025,13, 11 6 of 16
•
The BMI values were similar in the median zone, showing low variations, and the
mean was 22.79.
Table 2. Values of anthropometric parameters.
Parameters
Females Males
Age
[years]
Weight
[Kg]
Height
[cm]
BMI
[Kg/m2]
Age
[years]
Weight
[Kg]
Height
[cm]
BMI
[Kg/m2]
Minimum 19.00 45.80 155.00 17.20 19.00 53.40 162.00 16.10
Maximum 23.00 91.70 172.00 34.50 25.00 111.00 190.00 33.10
1st Quart. 20.00 52.63 160.25 19.05 20.25 67.13 173.00 22.25
Median 21.00 57.25 163.00 21.90 21.00 82.30 181.00 25.30
3rd Quart. 21.00 66.78 167.00 24.80 21.75 92.25 183.75 28.45
Mean 20.90 60.91 163.53 22.79 21.20 81.03 178.87 25.47
Std.dev. 0.96 11.80 4.61 4.40 1.27 16.68 7.74 4.60
For the males,
•
There was a large dispersion (interquartile range is 15.1 kg) in the central weight,
indicating significant variations in constitution;
•The heights in the median range showed greater variation compared to females;
•BMI exhibited moderate variation, and the mean was 25.47.
Table 3shows the data records reflecting body composition, which express the ideal
body weight values, fitness score, skeletal muscle and fat mass, and the degree of obesity
via the abdominal obesity index.
Table 3. Body composition parameter values.
Parameters
Females Males
Target
Weight
[Kg]
Fitness
Score
Skeletal
Muscle
Mass
[Kg]
Body Fat
Mass
[Kg]
Abd.
Obesity
Degree
Target
Weight
[Kg]
Fitness
Score
Skeletal
Muscle
Mass
[Kg]
Body Fat
Mass
[Kg]
Abd.
Obesity
Degree
Min 51.60 46.00 15.90 8.10 0.64 58.50 59.00 22.50 5.50 0.76
Max 68.10 87.00 30.90 39.20 1.06 92.30 93.00 45.40 40.50 0.95
1st Quart 55.18 66.00 19.73 11.73 0.79 72.15 70.50 33.30 12.95 0.84
Median 58.90 70.50 22.40 19.90 0.81 76.75 78.00 36.80 15.35 0.87
3rd Quart 61.23 72.00 24.88 22.45 0.86 84.90 80.00 42.18 23.85 0.91
Mean 58.63 69.07 22.54 19.63 0.83 77.75 76.53 36.65 18.01 0.87
Std.dev 4.15 7.10 3.63 8.58 0.08 9.72 8.64 6.56 8.50 0.05
Within the interquartile range, females showed small variations in muscle mass, but
the body fat presented significant variations, while within the interquartile range, males’
muscle mass and body fat varied moderately.
The standard values of the parameter, percent body fat, which is a representation of
the fat tissue mass, were those specified in the InBody equipment manual; the average
value of the percentage of adipose tissue was 15% in males and 23% in females, and the
range considered normal is 10–20% in males and 18–28% in females:
•
In total, 43% of males were below the threshold value of 15%; the rest were above this
threshold value;
•
In total, 77% of females were below the threshold value of 23%; the rest were above
this threshold value;
If we relate the results to the range considered normal, the distribution of subjects was
as follows:
Sports 2025,13, 11 7 of 16
•
In total, 43.4% of males fell in the 10–20% range considered normal, 16.6% were below
the 10% body fat threshold, and 40% were above the 20% body fat threshold.
•
In total, 40% of females fell in the 18–28% range considered normal, 43.3% were below
the 18% body fat threshold, and 16.7% were above the 28% body fat threshold.
Analysis of these results shows that in males, there was a high percentage who
exceeded the upper limit of normal and average, unlike females, in which the normal group
was two times larger than those who exceeded the upper limit. Obesity was therefore
higher among males.
Regarding the quantification of abdominal obesity,
•
In total, 66% of males were below the threshold value of 90%, with the rest above this
threshold value;
•
In total, 66% of the females were below the 85% threshold value, with the rest above it.
The fitness score values indicated average values of 69.07 for females and 76.53 for
males; hence, these values corresponded to a state of health and a level of fitness within
normal limits.
3.2. Assessment of Body Image Perception, Self-Esteem, and a Scale Used to Assess Perceived Ideal
Body Size
Tables 4and 5show the results of the application of the three questionnaires (BSQ,
Rosenberg, and Silhouette scale) for the two groups of subjects.
Table 4. Results of the BSQ, Rosenberg, and Silhouette for the female assessments.
BSQ Total Rosenberg Total SHIL Score
Minimum 16 13 1
Maximum 61 26 6
1st Quartile 26.25 19 3
Median 38.50 20 3
3rd Quartile 48.75 22.75 4
Mean 37.40 20.27 3.53
Std.dev 13.22 3.19 1.31
Table 5. Results of the BSQ, Rosenberg, and Silhouette for the male assessments.
BSQ Total Rosenberg Total SHIL Score
Minimum 18 11 2
Maximum 64 29 7
1st Quartile 24.50 17 4
Median 32 19 4
3rd Quartile 37 22 5
Mean 32.37 19.60 4.37
Std. dev 10.66 3.77 1.13
With regard to the interquartile range, the following remarks can be made:
For the females,
•The BSQ scores were highly dispersed, indicating varied body perceptions.
•The Rosenberg scores were relatively homogeneous in the median range.
•The SHIL scores showed small variations.
For the males,
•They had less dispersion in body perception scores than the females.
•The Rosenberg scores varied more compared to females.
•The SHIL scores were similar.
Sports 2025,13, 11 8 of 16
It can be observed, according to the BSQ questionnaire, that both females and males
were not satisfied with and were concerned about their body shape; the average values
were lower than 80 points, and averages for both groups were close.
According to the results of the Rosenberg self-esteem scale [
16
], the average score
for females was 20.27, and for males, it was 19.60. In relation to the evaluation range,
0–30, we found that both groups showed self-esteem at 66% of the maximum value. Ana-
lyzing the maximum values, males were more confident, with a self-esteem close to the
maximum value.
In terms of the perceived ideal body size assessed with the Silhouette scale [
18
], most
of the females were at level 3, with most of the males at level 4.
On this issue, the position of the subjects was as follows:
•In total, 13.3% of males were between 2 and 3,
•Hence, 86.7% were between 4 and 7.
A higher percentage of males perceived themselves to have a silhouette that corre-
sponded to a pre-obese or obese state. In total, 53.3% of females were categorized between
1 and 3 and 46.7% between 4 and 6, which means that the females had a perception that
corresponded to a slim body shape.
These aspects are in some agreement with the percentages represented by those found
in both males and females in relation to the mean values of the percentage of fat (15% in
males and 23% in females), because there was a predominance of females below the mean
threshold value and a predominance of males above the mean threshold value.
3.3. International Physical Activity Index (IPAQ)
Regarding the physical activity index assessed using the IPAQ scale, the results are
presented in Tables 6and 7, corresponding to the two groups of subjects. In the interquartile
range, the females exhibited a wide range of physical activity levels, while the males
exhibited less variation.
Table 6. IPAQ—females’ values.
IPAQ1
days/week
IPAQ2
min/day
IPAQ3
days/week
IPAQ4
min/day
IPAQ5
days/week
IPAQ6
min/day
IPAQ7
min/day
Min. 0 0 0 0 3.00 60 120
Max. 7 300 7.00 600 7.00 600 600
1st Quart 0 0 0.25 60 7.00 120 240
Median 1 60 2.00 120 7.00 120 300
3rd Quart 2 120 4.00 180 7.00 180 360
Mean 1.73 66 2.57 160 6.57 162 298
Std.dev 2.26 72.81 2.08 158.87 1.04 101.08 108.58
Table 7. IPAQ—males’ values.
IPAQ1
days/week
IPAQ2
min/day
IPAQ3
days/week
IPAQ4
min/day
IPAQ5
days/week
IPAQ6
min/day
IPAQ7
min/day
Min. 0 0 1 15 2 30 60
Max. 5 180 7 480 7 480 720
1st Quart 1 30 3 75 7 60 180
Median 3 120 4 150 7 120 240
3rd Quart 3 120 5 180 7 120 420
Mean 2.40 87 3.87 150.50 6.57 120 336
Std.dev 1.73 56.46 1.68 94.42 1.22 95.19 212.34
It can be observed that females achieved on average 1 day and a half of intense physical
activity over 7 days, where males were involved in intense physical activity for 2 days. As
Sports 2025,13, 11 9 of 16
for the duration of intense physical activity, again females had one hour or less, while males
exceeded one hour per day. As for moderate activity, the average number of days per week
was higher for males than for females, and as for the duration per day, females performed
moderate physical activity for a longer period than males. Walking was an activity that
both females and males stated they performed on average 6 days per week, and as for the
number of hours per day, again females spent more time. IPAQ items 3, 4, 5, and 6 indicate
that females were more involved in moderate physical activity than males. Regarding the
preference for adopting the sitting position, this was higher in males than in females, with
males preferring this position 1 h more than females, daily. Therefore, these data reveal
females have a higher involvement in physical activity than males.
Females tended to have less dispersion in physical parameters (e.g., weight, BMI) but
greater variation in body perception scores (BSQ).
Males exhibited greater dispersion in weight and height but had more uniform psy-
chosocial scores.
3.4. Statistical Analysis of Results
For the statistical analysis, we performed the Student t-test, with a level of significance
alpha = 0.05, which allowed us to quantify the differences between the two groups of
subjects, males and females.
3.4.1. Statistical Analysis of Body Composition Parameters
A statistical analysis of the body composition parameters was made using the Student
t-test (alpha = 0.05), which showed that there were significant statistical differences between
females and males for five out of the six parameters, as shown in Table 8.
Table 8. Statistical results of the body composition parameters and the BSQ, Rosenberg, Silhouette,
and IPAQ scores.
Parameters Difference p*
Target Weight [Kg] −19.12 0.001
Fitness Score −7.47 0.001
Skeletal Muscle Mass [Kg] −14.11 0.001
Body Fat Mass 1.62 ns
Abdominal Obesity Degree −0.04 ns
Body Mass Index [Kgm2]−2.68 ns
BSQ TOTAL 5.03 ns
Rosenberg TOTAL 0.67 ns
SHIL Score −0.83 0.026
IPAQ1 days/week −0.667 ns
IPAQ2 h/day −21 ns
IPAQ3 days/week −1.3 0.014
IPAQ4 min/day −10.5 ns
IPAQ5 days/week 0 ns
IPAQ6 min/day 42 ns
IPAQ7 min/day −38 ns
*p-value two-tailed. The bold values are different from 0 with a significance level alpha = 0.05. ns—not significant
with level alpha = 0.05.
There was a significant statistical difference in the target weight, fitness score, skeletal
muscle mass, abdominal obesity degree, and body mass index.
3.4.2. Statistical Analysis of the Questionnaires
A statistical analysis of the parameters for the BSQ and Rosenberg was conducted
using the Student t-test (alpha = 0.05), which showed that there were significant statistical
differences between females and males, as shown in Table 8.
Sports 2025,13, 11 10 of 16
Concerning the IPAQ physical activity index questionnaire, the t-test applied to the
IPAQ questionnaires showed a significant difference between females and males for IPAQ
item 3 (alpha = 0.005), Table 8.
As part of the statistical analysis, we also performed correlations between the measured
parameters; the correlations are shown in Table 9, using Pearson correlation (Figure 1).
Table 9. Pearson correlation for females and males between anthropometric parameters and
SHIL score.
Variables Females: SHIL Score Males: SHIL Score
Weight 0.848 0.717
Height 0.083 0.160
Body Mass Index 0.822 0.704
The bold values are different from 0 with a significance level alpha = 0.05.
Sports2025,13,xFORPEERREVIEW10of17
3.4.2..StatisticalAnalysisoftheQuestionnaires
AstatisticalanalysisoftheparametersfortheBSQandRosenbergwasconducted
usingtheStudentt-test(alpha=0.05),whichshowedthatthereweresignificantstatistical
differencesbetweenfemalesandmales,asshowninTable8.
ConcerningtheIPAQphysicalactivityindexquestionnaire,thet-testappliedtothe
IPAQquestionnairesshowedasignificantdifferencebetweenfemalesandmalesforIPAQ
item3(alpha=0.005),Table8.
Aspartofthestatisticalanalysis,wealsoperformedcorrelationsbetweenthemeas-
uredparameters;thecorrelationsareshowninTable9,usingPearsoncorrelation(Figure
1).
Table9.PearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetweenanthropometricparametersandSHIL
score.
VariablesFemales:SHILScoreMales:SHILScore
Weight0.8480.717
Height0.0830.160
BodyMassIndex0.8220.704
Theboldvaluesaredifferentfrom0withasignificancelevelalpha=0.05.
Figure1.SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetweentheanthropometricparam-
etersandSHILscore.Theboldvaluesaredifferentfrom0withasignificancelevelalpha=0.05.
Therewasamuchstrongercorrelationforfemalesthanmales,regardingthetwo
parametersofbodyweightandBMI,ontheonehand,andtheSHILscore,ontheother
hand,whichmeansthattherewasindeedastrongerlinkbetweenbodyweight,thecare
foritsmaintenance,andthewayfemalesperceivedthemselves.
Thecorrelationsrealizedbetweentheanthropometricparametersandbodycompo-
sitionparametersobtainedwiththeInBodyequipmentareshowninTable10andFigures
2–4(skeletalmusclemass=SMM,bodyfatmass=BFM,abdominalobesitydegree=
AOD).
0.717 0.704
0.848 0.822
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
Weight Height BodyMassIndex
Pearsoncorrelations
SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetween
anthropometricparametersandSHILscore.
Boys-SHILscore Girls-SHILscore
Figure 1. Significant Pearson correlation for females and males between the anthropometric parame-
ters and SHIL score. The bold values are different from 0 with a significance level alpha = 0.05.
There was a much stronger correlation for females than males, regarding the two
parameters of body weight and BMI, on the one hand, and the SHIL score, on the other
hand, which means that there was indeed a stronger link between body weight, the care
for its maintenance, and the way females perceived themselves.
The correlations realized between the anthropometric parameters and body composi-
tion parameters obtained with the InBody equipment are shown in Table 10 and Figures 2–4
(skeletal muscle mass = SMM, body fat mass = BFM, abdominal obesity degree = AOD).
Table 10. Pearson correlation for females between the anthropometric parameters and the parameters
measured with the InBody equipment.
Parameters
Females Males
Weight
[Kg]
Height
[cm]
BMI
[Kg/m2]
Weight
[Kg]
Height
[cm]
BMI
[Kg/m2]
Target Weight 0.532 0.823 0.292 0.751 0.520 0.701
Fitness Score −0.259 0.079 −0.297 0.302 0.066 0.339
SMM 0.691 0.443 0.558 0.816 0.454 0.793
BFM 0.872 −0.114 0.904 0.761 0.092 0.882
AOD 0.749 −0.306 0.845 0.803 0.057 0.960
The bold values are different from 0 with a significance level alpha = 0.05.
Sports 2025,13, 11 11 of 16
Sports2025,13,xFORPEERREVIEW11of17
Table10.Pearsoncorrelationforfemalesbetweentheanthropometricparametersandtheparame-
tersmeasuredwiththeInBodyequipment.
Parameters
FemalesMales
Weight
[Kg]
Height
[cm]BMI[Kg/m2]Weight[Kg]Height
[cm]BMI[Kg/m2]
TargetWeight0.5320.8230.2920.7510.5200.701
FitnessScore−0.2590.079−0.2970.3020.0660.339
SMM0.6910.4430.5580.8160.4540.793
BFM0.872−0.1140.9040.7610.0920.882
AOD0.749−0.3060.8450.8030.0570.960
Theboldvaluesaredifferentfrom0withasignificancelevelalpha=0.05.
Figure2.SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetweenweightandparameters
measuredwiththeInBodyequipment.Theboldvaluesaredifferentfrom0withasignificancelevel
alpha=0.05.
0.872
0.749
0.751 0.816 0.803
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
TargetWeight FitnessScore SMM BFM AOD
Pearsoncorrelation
SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetween
weightandparametersmeasuredwiththeInBodyequipment.
GirlsWeight[Kg] BoysWeight[Kg]
0.823
0.52
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
TargetWeight FitnessScore SMM BFM AOD
Pearsoncorrelation
SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetween
weightandparametersmeasuredwiththeInBodyequipment.
GirlsWeight[Kg] BoysWeight[Kg]
Figure 2. Significant Pearson correlation for females and males between weight and parameters
measured with the InBody equipment. The bold values are different from 0 with a significance level
alpha = 0.05.
Sports2025,13,xFORPEERREVIEW11of17
Table10.Pearsoncorrelationforfemalesbetweentheanthropometricparametersandtheparame-
tersmeasuredwiththeInBodyequipment.
Parameters
FemalesMales
Weight
[Kg]
Height
[cm]BMI[Kg/m2]Weight[Kg]Height
[cm]BMI[Kg/m2]
TargetWeight0.5320.8230.2920.7510.5200.701
FitnessScore−0.2590.079−0.2970.3020.0660.339
SMM0.6910.4430.5580.8160.4540.793
BFM0.872−0.1140.9040.7610.0920.882
AOD0.749−0.3060.8450.8030.0570.960
Theboldvaluesaredifferentfrom0withasignificancelevelalpha=0.05.
Figure2.SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetweenweightandparameters
measuredwiththeInBodyequipment.Theboldvaluesaredifferentfrom0withasignificancelevel
alpha=0.05.
0.872
0.749
0.751 0.816 0.803
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
TargetWeight FitnessScore SMM BFM AOD
Pearsoncorrelation
SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetween
weightandparametersmeasuredwiththeInBodyequipment.
GirlsWeight[Kg] BoysWeight[Kg]
0.823
0.52
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
TargetWeight FitnessScore SMM BFM AOD
Pearsoncorrelation
SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetween
weightandparametersmeasuredwiththeInBodyequipment.
GirlsWeight[Kg] BoysWeight[Kg]
Figure 3. Significant Pearson correlation for females and males between height and parameters
measured with the InBody equipment. The bold values are different from 0 with a significance level
alpha = 0.05.
In females, there was a better correlation between weight and height and between
adipose tissue mass and weight. In males, there was a relatively good correlation between
skeletal muscle mass and weight.
Therefore, it appears that the representativeness of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle
mass as correlated with weight is gender-specific. As can be seen, the fitness score did not
correlate with any of the parameters, and the abdominal obesity degree was correlated
with weight and BMI in both males and females, but the correlation was stronger in males.
We also performed a correlation analysis between the body composition parameters
and the scores resulting from the application of the BSQ, Rosenberg, SHIL, and IPAQ
questionnaires. The results show that for females, Pearson correlations existed only between
Sports 2025,13, 11 12 of 16
the SHIL score and weight (
r = 0.848
), body mass index (r = 0.822), and target weight
(
r = 0.702
). For males, correlations were also observed between the SHIL score and weight
(
r = 0.717
), as well as body mass index (r = 0.704). No correlations were found between the
other parameters.
Sports2025,13,xFORPEERREVIEW12of17
Figure3.SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetweenheightandparameters
measuredwiththeInBodyequipment.Theboldvaluesaredifferentfrom0withasignificancelevel
alpha=0.05.
Figure4.SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetweenbodymassindex(BMI)and
parametersmeasuredwiththeInBodyequipment.Theboldvaluesaredifferentfrom0withasig-
nificancelevelalpha=0.05.
Infemales,therewasabeercorrelationbetweenweightandheightandbetween
adiposetissuemassandweight.Inmales,therewasarelativelygoodcorrelationbetween
skeletalmusclemassandweight.
Therefore,itappearsthattherepresentativenessofadiposetissueandskeletalmuscle
massascorrelatedwithweightisgender-specific.Ascanbeseen,thefitnessscoredidnot
correlatewithanyoftheparameters,andtheabdominalobesitydegreewascorrelated
withweightandBMIinbothmalesandfemales,butthecorrelationwasstrongerinmales.
Wealsoperformedacorrelationanalysisbetweenthebodycompositionparameters
andthescoresresultingfromtheapplicationoftheBSQ,Rosenberg,SHIL,andIPAQ
questionnaires.Theresultsshowthatforfemales,Pearsoncorrelationsexistedonlybe-
tweentheSHILscoreandweight(r=0.848),bodymassindex(r=0.822),andtargetweight
(r=0.702).Formales,correlationswerealsoobservedbetweentheSHILscoreandweight
(r=0.717),aswellasbodymassindex(r=0.704).Nocorrelationswerefoundbetweenthe
otherparameters.
Thegraphicrepresentationofthecorrelationsbetweenthebodycompositionparam-
etersandthescoresresultingfromthequestionnairesispresentedinFigure5.
Weobservethattherewerenostrongcorrelationsbetweentheseparameters,andas
wementionedearlier,theonlypossiblecorrelationswerebetweenthewaysubjectsper-
ceivedthemselves,theiractualweight,andimplicitly,theirbodymassindex.
FromthecalculationofPearsoncorrelationsbetweenthescoresresultingfromthe
applicationoftheBSQ,Rosenberg,SHIL,andIPAQquestionnairesinbothgroupsofan-
alyzedsubjects,thefollowingresultswereobtained:
Forfemales,aweakcorrelationwasfoundonlybetweentheIPAQ1andIPAQ4
scores(r=0.589).
Formales,aweakcorrelationwasfoundonlybetweentheIPAQ1andIPAQ2scores
(r=0.657),withaweakinversecorrelationbetweentheSHILscoreandIPAQ4(r=
−0.531).
0.904
0.701
0.882
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
TargetWeight FitnessScore SMM BFM
Pearsoncorrelation
SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetween
weightandparametersmeasuredwiththeInBodyequipment.
GirlsWeight[Kg] BoysWeight[Kg]
Figure 4. Significant Pearson correlation for females and males between body mass index (BMI)
and parameters measured with the InBody equipment. The bold values are different from 0 with a
significance level alpha = 0.05.
The graphic representation of the correlations between the body composition parame-
ters and the scores resulting from the questionnaires is presented in Figure 5.
Sports2025,13,xFORPEERREVIEW13of17
Figure5.SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetweenparametersmeasuredwith
theInBodyequipmentandtheSHILscores.Theboldvaluesaredifferentfrom0withasignificance
levelalpha=0.05.
4.Discussion
Ourstudyhighlightsthefactthatthereareimportantdifferencesbetweenfemales
andmalesintermsofbodyweightandbodyfatpercentage;ifwerefertothereference
values,therearesignificantdifferencesinbodycomposition,asalsomentionedin
Petrekova[21],whichspecifiedthatthereweredifferencesinbodycompositionbetween
menandwomenandinphysicalactivity,withfemalesbeingmoreinvolvedinmoderate
physicalactivitythanmales.Regardinghowtheyperceivethemselvesandhowtheyare
concernedaboutbodyimage,femalesalsoshowinterestinandevaluatetheirbodyimage
morecorrectly,relatedtotheSHILscale,closelyrelatedtoweight,asfoundinthestudy
ofChangetal.[22],with90%ofthestudentsinvolvedinthestudy.IfwerefertotheBSQ
questionnaireonbodyshape,whichshowedalackofconcernintermsofhowtheyap-
preciatetheirbodyshape,itisobservedthatthisisalsoreflectedinself-esteem,which
wasevaluatedbytheRosenbergscale.Thisshowedthatalthoughbothgroupsofsubjects
hadaveragevalueswithinthereferencevalues,whenweanalyzedtherelationshipwith
themaximumvalue,wefoundthatself-esteemwas66%ofthemaximumvalue,witha
higherdegreeinmalesthaninfemales.Thisaspectagreedwiththeresultsreportedby
Aggarwal[23].Apositivebodyimagewaslinkedtoincreasedconfidenceandwellbeing,
whereasanegativebodyimagewaslinkedtolowerself-esteem.
IntermsofourresultsregardingtherelationshipbetweentheSHILandbodyweight,
bodyfatpercentage,andBMI,therewasacorrelation,whichwasalsoreflectedinthe
workofCrolinietal.[24],whoconcludedthatthecurrentbodysizewascorrelatedwith
BMIbothinmalesandinfemales,withastrongconcurrentvalidityandalargeeffectin
bothsamples[25].Inaddition,thecorrelationcoefficientbetweenthecurrentbodysize
measuredbyourscaleandBMIinthesecondsamplewassimilartotheonebetweenthe
currentbodysizemeasuredbytheThompson’sscaleandBMI,withalargeeffect.
ThesameaspectofthecorrelationbetweenSHILandbodycomposition,morespe-
cificallyweightandBMI,canbefoundinStagietal.[15],whoconductedastudyonthe
relationshipbetweenself-perceivedbodyimageandbodycompositionandfoundthatit
waspositivelycorrelatedwithweightandBMIinbothgroups.
0.848 0.822
0.702
0.717 0.704
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Weight Height BodyMassIndex TargetWeight
Pearsoncorrelation
SignificantPearsoncorrelationforfemalesandmalesbetweenthe
parametersmeasuredwiththeInBodyequipmentandtheSHIL
scoresobtainedfromthequestionnaires.
GirlsSHILscore BoysSHILscore
Figure 5. Significant Pearson correlation for females and males between parameters measured with
the InBody equipment and the SHIL scores. The bold values are different from 0 with a significance
level alpha = 0.05.
We observe that there were no strong correlations between these parameters, and
as we mentioned earlier, the only possible correlations were between the way subjects
perceived themselves, their actual weight, and implicitly, their body mass index.
Sports 2025,13, 11 13 of 16
From the calculation of Pearson correlations between the scores resulting from the
application of the BSQ, Rosenberg, SHIL, and IPAQ questionnaires in both groups of
analyzed subjects, the following results were obtained:
•
For females, a weak correlation was found only between the IPAQ 1 and IPAQ 4 scores
(r = 0.589).
•
For males, a weak correlation was found only between the IPAQ 1 and IPAQ 2 scores
(r = 0.657), with a weak inverse correlation between the SHIL score and IPAQ 4
(r = −0.531).
4. Discussion
Our study highlights the fact that there are important differences between females and
males in terms of body weight and body fat percentage; if we refer to the reference values,
there are significant differences in body composition, as also mentioned in Petrekova [21],
which specified that there were differences in body composition between men and women
and in physical activity, with females being more involved in moderate physical activity
than males. Regarding how they perceive themselves and how they are concerned about
body image, females also show interest in and evaluate their body image more correctly,
related to the SHIL scale, closely related to weight, as found in the study of Chang et al. [
22
],
with 90% of the students involved in the study. If we refer to the BSQ questionnaire on
body shape, which showed a lack of concern in terms of how they appreciate their body
shape, it is observed that this is also reflected in self-esteem, which was evaluated by the
Rosenberg scale. This showed that although both groups of subjects had average values
within the reference values, when we analyzed the relationship with the maximum value,
we found that self-esteem was 66% of the maximum value, with a higher degree in males
than in females. This aspect agreed with the results reported by Aggarwal [
23
]. A positive
body image was linked to increased confidence and wellbeing, whereas a negative body
image was linked to lower self-esteem.
In terms of our results regarding the relationship between the SHIL and body weight,
body fat percentage, and BMI, there was a correlation, which was also reflected in the
work of Crolini et al. [
24
], who concluded that the current body size was correlated with
BMI both in males and in females, with a strong concurrent validity and a large effect in
both samples [
25
]. In addition, the correlation coefficient between the current body size
measured by our scale and BMI in the second sample was similar to the one between the
current body size measured by the Thompson’s scale and BMI, with a large effect.
The same aspect of the correlation between SHIL and body composition, more specif-
ically weight and BMI, can be found in Stagi et al. [
15
], who conducted a study on the
relationship between self-perceived body image and body composition and found that it
was positively correlated with weight and BMI in both groups.
Regarding the perception of body shape, our results, based on the BSQ questionnaire,
did not reveal differences between males and females, but in terms of correlations, the
closest relationship seems to be with abdominal obesity degree and not with body fat
mass, in the sense that the relationship is much smaller in females (r = 0.230) than in males
(r = 0.330), an aspect also found in the article by Kagawa et al. [26].
Related to physical activity, we observed that there was no correlation between the
IPAQ scores and body composition items, which is in agreement with the observations of
Wu et al. [
27
], who mentioned that no significant difference in the waist-to-hip ratio was
found in their study after the eight-week intervention. They underlined the same aspect as
we found regarding a link between abdominal obesity degrees and weight, with respect to
body fat mass. Their study showed that abdominal-fat weight was positively correlated
with BMI, body fat weight, and body fat percentage.
Sports 2025,13, 11 14 of 16
What is surprising is the result reflecting self-esteem, which correlated negatively with
all the measured parameters. In addition, the fitness score is a parameter that indicates a
good level of fitness and correlates somewhat with performing an intense daily physical
activity, which had an average value of 1–2 days per week. The analysis of the fitness score
in relation to the anthropometric parameters did not show a correlation. We also did not find
a correlation with the degree of involvement in physical activity, assessed by the IPAQ scale;
this aspect is also mentioned by Gilani et al. [
28
], who analyzed the relationship between
physical activity, BMI, and body composition and concluded that physical activity had a
weak negative and weak positive correlation with fat mass and muscle mass, respectively.
In addition, there was a very weak negative correlation between physical activity and
BMI. Nevertheless, there was a significant relationship between physical activity and body
composition, i.e., fat mass and muscle mass. Meanwhile, physical activity had no significant
relationship with BMI. The existence of a normal fitness score in both groups, associated
with moderate and intense physical activity by males, daily, is an aspect that we find also
in the literature. The results showed that the mean SE scores increased significantly in
participants who received the intervention. Participating in regular aerobic exercise for
eight weeks as an intervention appeared to increase the mean SE score [28].
As with Zogg et al. [
29
], we observed an inverse correlation, although insignificant,
between the IPAQ and body fat mass. The authors mentioned that, in multiple linear
regressions, leisure-time activity showed an inverse association with waist circumference
and relative fat mass and a positive correlation with relative muscle mass.
Our study has allowed us to identify parameters that can differentiate the behavior of
the body composition–self-esteem–body image relationship, depending on gender.
Analyzing some studies regarding body composition, we found that Kirchengast
et al. [
30
] demonstrated that females, even with a normal weight, had a significant per-
centage of relative fat mass, whereas normal weight males showed a significantly higher
amount of fat-free body mass. In the same study, the authors examined the level of physical
activity and found that males were significantly more physically active than females.
Regarding other aspects, such as body image, self-esteem, and body perception, Russo
et al. [
31
] found a dissatisfaction with body image, as we did. In addition, the authors
discussed the sports activity that was considered to have a determining factor in the
perception of the silhouette. According to this study, we used the SHIL scale, but we did
not report the relationship between the attractiveness to the opposite sex, as the authors
did. They found that the FAD index was based on the difference between the silhouette
perceived as one’s own real body image and the silhouette of the same sex considered to be
attractive to the opposite sex.
In terms of physical activity, Slavica [
32
] proposed a physical activity score, and their
investigation showed that a game was a significant predictor of differences in physical
activity between males and females, and that males played more games than females.
5. Conclusions
The degree of obesity and, therefore, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
and metabolic syndrome is higher in males than in females.
In examining how males and females perceive their body shape according to the BSQ
scale, both groups, although not satisfied, were not concerned about this aspect.
Although males have a higher degree of obesity, their self-esteem showed a higher
level of confidence. In accordance with the degree of obesity, males perceived their own
body image, at a pre-obesity level, although in terms of the abdominal obesity degree, most
males were below the threshold value of 90%.
Sports 2025,13, 11 15 of 16
In terms of physical activity as measured by the IPAQ scale, males engaged predomi-
nantly in intense physical activity, while females sustained moderate physical activity but
for a longer duration. In addition, because the participants were students from a physio-
therapy course, it is possible there was a difference regarding physical activity according
to their physical preparation, as they can be included in physical activity more than other
people.
Limitations of this study—the participants came from both rural and urban back-
grounds, which may result in different dietary habits and lifestyles, impacting the results
of our study. The subjectivity of responses may also influence the results of this study. This
aspect would not influence body composition but could affect self-esteem.
Further, as the participants were not randomly selected from the wider population,
there may have been volunteer bias.
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, L.R. and M.L.C.; methodology, L.R. and D.P.; software,
G.I. and M.I.M.; validation, L.R. and M.L.C.; formal analysis, E.I. and M.R.R.; investigation, G.I. and
D.P.; resources, M.L.C. and E.I.; data curation, M.I.M.; writing—original draft preparation, L.R. and
M.I.M.; writing—review and editing, M.R.R.; visualization, M.L.C.; supervision, L.R. All authors
have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: The approval number is Ref 254/12.12.2023. This study was
conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of
University of Craiova-FEFS (protocol code 254/12.12.2023).
Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in this study.
Data Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the
corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments: We thank our students for their cooperation.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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