Effect of exercise and the exercise setting on older women’s self-concept

Abstract

This thesis investigated the effect of exercise and the exercise setting on self-concept in the context of older women. Very little research in this area has focused on older women. At the same time it attempted to identify possible mechanisms underpinning exercise-induced change in self-concept, including the effect of the group and change in real and perceived body condition and real and perceived fitness. Adherence issues and the hierarchical structure of self-concept were examined in an exploratory manner. An extensive literature review was undertaken. It concluded with a preliminary exercise-self-concept model which would be used to explain and evaluate the thesis’ hypotheses. Two studies were undertaken. Study 1 validated the English version of the Self-perception in Exercise Questionnaire (SPEQ) (Sorensen, 1999) and examined relationships between exercise status, age, body size, and physical self-perceptions in a sample of older Australian women. The SPEQ was found to be a valid and reliable instrument to be used in Study 2 to measure self-perceptions relevant to exercise in older Australian women. Study 2, a randomised controlled trial, examined the effect of exercise and the exercise setting on older women’s self-concept. It comprises the main body of work for this thesis. It compared a group of older women exercising together in a group to a similar group of women who performed exactly the same exercise alone. Then both groups were compared to a similarly motivated group of women who did not exercise, but were waiting to start an exercise program. Using a pre-posttest design it measured exercise-induced change in self-concept, selfperceptions, satisfaction, and 13 physiological measures. Following a 12-week exercise treatment, the older women who walked regularly either alone or in a group thrice weekly experienced significantly improved total, physical, and social self-concept, more positive perceptions of their body and fitness, increased satisfaction with self and with life in general, and improved aerobic fitness compared to controls. When the three experimental conditions were compared, however, these outcomes were significant only for group exercise compared to controls; not for alone exercise compared to controls. Of greater importance, when the two exercise settings, walk alone and walk in a group, were compared, the women who walked in a group experienced significantly improved physical self-concept, satisfaction with life, and more positive perceptions of their body and fitness compared to the women who walked alone. Unexpectedly, aerobic fitness also increased significantly for the women who walked in a group relative to controls, but not for the alone walk condition. Taken together these findings suggest group exercise offers considerable psychological and aerobic fitness benefits to older women. These are valuable and unique findings. They are reinforced by the high adherence (91%) and participation rates (95%) achieved in the walk trial. Partial support was found for the proposed exercise-self-concept model and the hierarchical structure of self-concept was demonstrated. Perceived change accounted for more of the variance in self-concept than real body and fitness change. Effect sizes were larger for certain physical self-perceptions than for global self-concept. In conclusion, this thesis has extended current knowledge of exercise effects on selfconcept to older women, added a systematic exercise-self-concept review, added a useful instrument for measuring older women’s self-perceptions in exercise in future studies, and added to current knowledge of mechanisms underpinning improved self-concept following exercise. Exercise, moderate-intensity walking, was found to positively and significantly affect older women’s self-concept. The exercise setting differentially affected older women’s selfconcept; effects were significantly greater when the exercise was performed in a group with similar others. The group exercise setting and its effect on self-perceptions is suggested as a possible mechanism underpinning the positive exercise-self-concept association.