Body dissatisfaction and sociodemographic , anthropometric and maturational factors among artistic gymnastics athletes

Body image has been valued as the focus of scienti c research, especially since the 1990s. Authors agree that this construct is complex and multifaceted. Furthermore, it involves the image that the individual has from the size, shape and contour of his own body as well as the feelings, thoughts and behaviors in relation to these characteristics. Currently, research on body image have privileged the evaluation of body dissatisfaction, mainly in samples of adolescents. Understood as the negative and subjective evaluation of the own body, body dissatisfaction can occur in several ways. Authors report that the individual can both be dissatis ed with their overall physical appearance, and with some speci c body parts . In addition, some studies highlight that body dissatisfaction may be in uenced by several factors such as: ethnicity, socioeconomic level , as well as social and cultural factors.  us, the environment in which the subject is inserted can directly in uence your body image. In this context, the sports environment and in particular the modalities which value the aesthetic body can be a way of higher sociocultural pressure motivated by the thin ideal body.  e artistic gymnastics may be cited as an environment in which these relationships are very present, because it implies a certain speci c aesthetic body, by the requirement of a favorable biotype for practice , which can lead athletes of this modality to a deep discontent with their own body.  erefore, the sterotype body with short stature and low body fat is recommended in artistic gymnastics, because the ability to perform spins in Abstract


Introduction
Body dissatisfaction and sociodemographic, anthropometric and maturational factors among artistic gymnastics athletes di erent axes of the body is required constantly in the elements of this sport [19][20][21] .For this reason, artistic gymnastics is often cited as a modality that causes the emergence of speci c characteristics of these athletes, such as the commitment of the growth in stature 19,21 .Regarding the high performance training, there are speculations that if this is intense and demanding, especially in childhood and adolescence may impair the growth 19 .However, a review study performed by M et al. 20 point out that the stature reached in adulthood gymnastics athletes for both sexes is not compromised by training at young ages or during the peak growth spurt.
Recent studies evaluating anthropometric and maturation measures in athletes from various sports have found associations between these factors and negative body image [22][23] .In addition, the review study conducted by N et al. 24 identi ed that

Study design
To calculate the sample size, it considered all the students enrolled in this project, aged between 10 and 18 years old in 2013.e prevalence of body dissatisfaction adopted for sample calculation was 31.9% -average values found in Brazilian studies with similar populations 11,16,18 .Adopting 95% con dence This study was approved by the Ethics and Human Research Committee of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), according to the protocol 14406513.9.0000.5147and approval number 337.127.All athletes and their guardians signed an informed consent form that explained the study objectives and procedures.
is is considered a cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive and correlational study 27 .It was realized at the Artistic Gymnastics Training Center of Três Rios -RJ.By the year 2013 (date of the present study), the project was considered as a national reference center for this sport because it received elite athletes who representing Brazil in national and international competitions.
Measures few Brazilian research 16,[25][26] which considered the speci cs of artistic gymnastics noted the in uence of psychological factors such as media in uence 25 , anxiety 26 , perfectionism and mood 16 , on the eating disorder risk behavior of these athletes.However, the authors did not take into account the maturational factors and they disregarded the competitive level of individuals, which may in uence the magnitude of these relationships.erefore, we emphasize the importance of assessing body dissatisfaction in artistic gymnastics athletes both in the non-elite and elite levels, and relate it to sociodemographic, anthropometric and maturational factors.
is study aimed to evaluate the existence of overall and speci c body dissatisfaction in elite and non-elite artistic gymnastics athletes, and to analyze the in uence of sociodemographic, anthropometric and maturational factors on body dissatisfaction.

Participants
level and 5% of maximum error of estimation, it reached an ideal sample of 100 athletes, which is the minimum to obtain a representative sample of the present study population.To preserve the sample as representative of the population, it was decided to collect as much data as possible, overcoming the sample calculation.
The study included all athletes who were enrolled and regularly attending classes in Artistic Gymnastics Training Center of Três Rios -RJ during the data collection phase; who submit the signed informed consent; who could read and write; and those available to answer the questionnaires and conduct anthropometric assessments.Individuals who did not participate in any stage of data collection or did not complete the questionnaire in its entirety were excluded.
It is also worth mentioning that the study sample was divided into two groups: elite and non-elite athletes.According to M et al. 20 , the artistic gymnastics elite athletes training an average of 30 hours per week. is criterion was used as the cuto point for the separation of sample groups in this study.
Initially, athletes answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, to access data such as age; ethnicity; education; and physical activity data (frequency and hours of weekly training).
To identify the socioeconomic level, it was used the "Critério de Classificação Econômica Brasil" (CCEB) 28 .is instrument uses a survey of household characteristics (presence and quantity of some household items of comfort and education degree of the household head) to di erentiate the population.e criterion function assigns points for each characteristic and performs the sum of the scores ranging from 0 to 46. e rating is given from strata who follow the cuto s: A1 -42 to 46 points; A2 -35 to 41; B1 -29 to 34; B2 -23 to 28; C1 -18 to 22; C2 -14 to 17; D -8 to 13; E -0 to 7.
To assess the dissatisfaction and concerns about body shape was used the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), in its version validated for Brazilian adolescents 4 .e instrument consists of 34 items in the Likert scale form of points, ranging from 1 (never) to 6 (always).e nal score is the sum of the items and can range from 34 to 204. e BSQ classi es four levels of body dissatisfaction, as follows: score < 80 points = free of body dissatisfaction; score between 80 and 110 = low body dissatisfaction; score between 110 and 140 = moderate body dissatisfaction; and scores above 140 = severe body dissatisfaction.For the present study sample, the instrument showed good internal consistency [Cronbach's alpha coe cient (α) = 0.92].
To assess dissatisfaction with weight and with some speci c body parts, it was used the Body Areas Scale (BAS) to adolescents 5 .e validated version among adolescents consists of 24 items, each corresponding to a body part.e level of satisfaction is accessed from a scale in Likert form of points from 1 (very satis ed) to 5 (very dissatis ed).e nal score is given by the sum of scores of each item that can vary between 24 to 120 points.Higher score indicates greater body dissatisfaction.e instrument showed good internal consistency (α = 0.90) for this sample.
In addition, we collected anthropometric data of body weight, height, trunk-cephalic height and skinfold (triceps and subscapularis).For these measures the described procedures were adopted by the International Society for the Advancement of Kineanthropometry (ISAK) 29 .e body weight was measured using a portable digital scale Tanita with an accuracy of 100 grams and a maximum capacity of 200 kg.e height was assessed using a portable stadiometer of Welmy, with accuracy of 0.5 cm and a maximum of 2.20 m capacity.e trunk-cephalic height was measured by L 30 bench.The skinfold thickness were measured using a compass LANGE with accuracy of 1 mm and 67 mm capacity.

Procedures
Initially, the coordinator of the Artistic Gymnastics Training Center of Três Rios -RJ was contact to explain the objectives and the methods of the study, and request authorization to carry out the study.After the consent of coordination, the best days and times for the data collection were established.
At the time of data collection, a brief explanation of the objectives and the methods of the study was given for athletes and their guardians.e procedures were performed only after the informed consent form signature.Data collection happened between the months of October and December of 2013.
e Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated from the body weight and height (kg/m 2 ), followed by age classi cations recommended by the World Health Organization 31 .To estimate the percentage of body fat, it used the S et al. 32 protocol for adolescents.To assess somatic maturation, we used the method developed by M et al. 30 which consider the peak of height growth velocity.Height, body mass, trunk-cephalic height, leg length (di erence between trunk-cephalic height and height) and chronological age data are required to estimate it.e combination of these values, from the formulas developed by authors 30 , provide results with negative or positive scores.So, adolescents are classi ed as follows: score < -1 = Pre-spurt of growth in stature; score between -1 and + 1 = During spurt of growth in stature; score > +1 = Post-spurt of growth in stature.

Statistical analysis
Regarding the analysis for nominal data, it was decided by the description in absolute and relative frequency, whereas for the numerical data analysis, the average and standard deviations were conducted.To analyze the internal consistency of the instruments BSQ and BAS we used the Cronbach's alpha coefficient, considering value above 0.70 as appropriate 33 .Then, the null hypothesis was con rmed, followed by parametric tests.e Student t test was performed to evaluate di erences of the means (age, %BF, BMI, maturation, BSQ and BAS) between groups (elite and non-elite athletes).Pearson correlation test was performed to verify the association between the study variables (BSQ, BAS, BMI, %BF, maturation and socioeconomic status), considering the groups elite and non-elite athletes separately.en, forward linear regression was realized to determine

Results
the in uence of the variables (signi cantly related) exerted on the overall body dissatisfaction (BSQ), and in speci c body parts (BAS).e latter analysis was performed only for non-elite athletes, because e study included 323 artistic gymnastics athletes of both sexes, in the city of Três Rios -RJ.However, 38 were excluded due to incomplete data.us, the total number of analyzed athletes was 285.Of these, 40 adolescents met the criteria to be considered elite athletes.TABLES 1 and 2 shows, respectively, the description of the sample regarding sociodemographic (sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status) and physical (nutritional status, %BF and somatic maturation) variables of elite and non-elite athletes.Regarding the overall body dissatisfaction, assessed by BSQ, it was identi ed that 24.9% and 15% of the non-elite and elite athletes, respectively, had some level of dissatisfaction with the body (low, moderate or severe dissatisfaction).With respect to body dissatisfaction of speci c areas evaluated by BAS, for the group of non-elite athletes, body areas that had higher average were: the "weight" (2.33 ± 1.45) followed by the "height" (1.83 ± 1.23).As for elite athletes, the "height" had higher average (2.00 ± 1.15) followed by the "weight" (1.93 ± 1.07) (complete data not shown).e Student t test showed a signi cant di erence only for body area "weight" (p = 0.038), and the non-elite athletes had lower average.TABLE 3 presents the descriptive analysis (mean and standard deviation) of age, socioeconomic status, BMI, %BF, maturation, BSQ and BAS variables.Moreover, it shows the results of the comparison of means between groups (elite and non-elite athletes).
Descriptive analysis of the variables studied.From the associations shown above for elite athletes, the regression analysis is not justi ed, because no variable was statistically associated with the BSQ and the BAS.For the group of non-elite athletes, there were two forward multiple linear regression analyzes, with the BSQ and BAS scores as criterion variable.In the rst analysis (BSQ), the %BF was inserted in block 1 (by having highest correlation value) and BMI in the block 2. e %BF was responsible for 9.1% of the variance of the BSQ scores (F = 25.440;p = 0.001).e BMI did not add explain to the model, and therefore was deleted at the end of regression.

Non-elite athletes Elite athletes
is study aimed to evaluate the existence of overall and speci c body dissatisfaction in elite and non-elite artistic gymnastics athletes, and to analyze the in uence of sociodemographic, anthropometric and maturation factors on body dissatisfaction.Some authors highlight that aesthetic sports athletes who practice dietary restrictions due to concern about weight may have income decrease in performance 11,16 .erefore, we emphasize the importance of assessing body dissatisfaction in artistic gymnastics athletes, as it is a risk factor for developing eating disorders and it is directly related to food restriction 34 .Screening measures may help preventive actions to psychological health of these athletes.
e ndings indicated that 24.9% and 15% of the non-elite and elite athletes, respectively, had some level of overall body dissatisfaction.ese prevalence con rm data found by some Brazilian researchers who used the same instrument (BSQ) in aesthetic sports athletes.N et al. 16 identi ed 25% of gymnastics athletes with body dissatisfaction considering girls who trained 15 hours per week.F et al. 11 found prevalence of 39% of body dissatisfaction in athletes of different aesthetic modalities that trained 10 hours per week.Study conducted by V et al. 18 , classi ed as rhythmic gymnastics athletes those who participated in two state-level competitions, and found that 31.7% were dissatis ed with their bodies.Another possibility is the division by age category, as in the study of P et al. 35 which found 31.7% and 62.5% of body dissatisfaction in juniors and seniors synchronized swimming athletes, respectively.us, among the national studies, it was found that there is no standard for the classi cation as elite and non-elite athletes.is research adopted the cuto point of 30 hours of weekly training, as pointed out by review study conducted by M et al. 20 .Also, this is a criterion that ts the reality of the Artistic Gymnastics Training Center of Três Rios -RJ.e current study identi ed a lower percentage of body dissatisfaction in the group of elite athletes.us, it is necessary to consider the athlete category to evaluation of body dissatisfaction.
With regard to body dissatisfaction of speci c areas, few national surveys conducted this assessment.Research by C et al. 7 , in adolescents about the same age of those in the present study, found that both boys and girls reported dissatisfaction with stomach area and body weight.Similarly, our study identifies greater average of weight and height in both groups.is indicates that the athletes participating in the study are more dissatis ed with these areas.However, once again, the non-elite athletes showed greater dissatisfaction with their weight when compared to elite athletes.
One possible explanation for these findings is that elite athletes had signi cantly lower BMI and %BF (TABLE 3).In addition to a natural selection of sports which looks for individuals with these characteristics 17,19 , the intensity of elite training helps these athletes present lower BMI and

Discussion
In the second analysis (BAS), we inserted (by order of the correlation value): somatic maturation in block 1; age in block 2; BMI in block 3; and %BF in block 4. Somatic maturation was responsible for 5.0% of the variance of the BAS scores (F = 13.949;p = 0.001).e other variables did not add explanation to the model and therefore did not enter the nal regression model.%BF.us, despite the competitive environment bring greater pressure in search of an aesthetic body considered socially perfect, intense training "models" the body so that the physical development of elite athletes resembles the ideal body standard valued in society (thinness) 1 .
Added to this, the results of association between anthropometric data and body dissatisfaction (TABLE 4) show that the groups are di erent.BMI and %BF were associated with BSQ only for non-elite athletes and are not signi cant to elite athletes.To present sample, the body dissatisfaction of the elite athletes is not necessarily associated with anthropometric data.erefore, the regression analysis was not recommended.It is possible that body dissatisfaction observed in elite athletes is the result of other in uences, such as psychological variables, such as perfectionism, mood, eating behavior and media in uence.
For non-elite athletes, it is important to note that BMI and %BF showed high signi cant association (r = 0.83) 33 .Furthermore, the two variables were relevant in body dissatisfaction (BSQ) con rming the literature 7,35 .However, through the regression analysis, only %BF had an impact on the variance of the BSQ.Possibly, the BMI not added explanation to the model, because for athletes %BF is considered a more appropriate 22,[36][37] .
e results of multiple linear regression using the BAS as criterion variable indicated that only the somatic maturation modulated 5% of the variation in body dissatisfaction of speci c areas.Study by C et al. 7 assessed a group of nonathletes of similar age to the present study, with similar questionnaire, found an association between overweight and dissatisfaction in di erent body areas.is nding has not been con rmed on nonelite athletes because the BMI was excluded from the regression model.It appears that approximately 95% of dissatisfaction with di erent body areas can be explained by other factors.
Finally, another important result need to be highlighted: despite the age was statistically di erent between groups, the somatic maturation did not follow such a relationship.at is, although the elite athletes were older, their maturation stage was similar to that of the non-elite athletes.It seems that, for the evaluated athletes, the training intensity delayed the growth spurt.ese ndings are still controversial in the literature, because while N 19 highlights the commitment of growth in stature with intense training, M et al. 20 claim that the height reached in adulthood for athletes is not compromised by the practice of artistic gymnastics.It is noteworthy that are recent studies that investigated the association of maturation with body dissatisfaction in athletes 23,[38][39] and, therefore, are still encouraged future research in the area.
Despite the relevant data found in this research, some limiting factors are worth mentioning.Firstly, the cross-section design makes it impossible to check relationship of cause and e ect.In addition, in the case of adolescent athletes, the use of self-report instruments can be questioned, because they may not respond reliably, fearing cuts in sta .However, these methods have been widely used in similar samples 11,16,18,35 .
We suggest future studies in artistic gymnastics athletes to consider other factors involved in body dissatisfaction, such as perfectionism, mood, eating behavior and media influence.This suggestion has hypothesized the fact that body dissatisfaction of artistic gymnastics elite athletes has another motivator than the anthropometric and maturational factors evaluated in this study.Furthermore, assessment of a group of non-athletes could help in understanding the process of the appearance of the body dissatisfaction in non-elite athletes.
We concluded that the non-elite athletes were more dissatisfied with their body and weight than the elite athletes.This was identified by the instrument that assesses the overall body dissatisfaction, as well as the questionnaire that veri es speci c questions related to the body areas.In addition, in non-elite athletes, only the %BF and somatic maturation were predictors for overall and speci c body dissatisfaction, respectively.e evaluation of body image in sports should be encouraged as it can prevent the onset or development of psychological disorders such as eating disorders.

TABLE 1 -
Socio-demographic characteristics of the samples.
elite athletes group, the correlation test showed no statistically signi cant associations with the BSQ and the BAS.In all cases the level of signi cance was set at p < 0.05.e software used was SPSS 19.0. on

TABLE 2 -
Physical characteristics of the athletes.

TABLE 4 -
Association between the study variables through the Pearson test (r).