Mental Health in Fitness Instructors

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The aim of this project is to improve the evidence-base regarding lifestyle and mental health symptoms among fitness instructors. A national cohort of fitness instructors will be invited to participate in this study by responding to an online questionnaire. The questionnaire will consist of items regarding exercise, nutrition, eating disorders, the menstrual cycle, depression, anxiety, body dissatisfaction and satisfaction, drive for muscularity and leanness, and experiences of sexual harassment. Findings from this study will provide an evidence-base for initiatives to improve/optimize mental health among fitness instructors, and also in the process of developing fitness centres to a core partner in public health and health promotion work.

Clinical Trial Description

Previous research has shown that prevalence of self-reported eating disorders vary from 5-40% among group fitness instructors. Most of these studies were conducted more than 10 years ago, hence the potential impact of social media on the fitness instructors' body image and mental health symptoms has therefore not been taken into account. Recent studies reveal that social media is a significant contributor for perceived body image and for eating and exercise-related disturbances. A more recent Norwegian study from 2015 found a prevalence of self-reported eating disorders of 4.8% and 4.3% among female and male group fitness instructors, respectively. However, major limitations with this previous study was the low sample size (n=107), few men included, not being national representative (i.e. only recruiting from a smaller geographical area), and the lack of instruments assessing body awareness of muscularity and leanness instead of thinness.

The fitness industry has great potential as a public health collaborator, and to improve physical activity level and public health status. However, this potential can be flawed by instructors complying with a culture idealizing unhealthy attitudes, motivation and behaviour with regards to nutrition, exercise and body image. This is a culture also potentially being underlined by the new exercise concepts and titles brought forward by the fitness industry, emphasizing body ideals and appearance, and body weight control. An additional concern to the mental health of fitness instructors, are the increase in reports of sexual harassment.

The high prevalence of perceived negative body image and disordered eating among fitness instructors, reports of sexual harassment, and the focus on appearance and control of body shape in the fitness industry, causes concern for the mental health of the employees (i.e. fitness instructors). Hence, this cohort study aims to map the prevalence of mental health symptoms in a national cohort of fitness instructors. ;

Study Design

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

Clinical Trial Details

NCT number	NCT04135729
Study type	Observational
Source	Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
Contact
Status	Completed
Phase
Start date	November 1, 2019
Completion date	May 30, 2020

View Details

See also
Status	Clinical Trial	Phase
Completed	`NCT04506996` - Monday-Focused Tailored Rapid Interactive Mobile Messaging for Weight Management 2	N/A
Active, not recruiting	`NCT04420936` - Pragmatic Research in Healthcare Settings to Improve Diabetes and Obesity Prevention and Care for Our Program	N/A
Terminated	`NCT03316105` - Effect of T6 Dermatome Electrical Stimulation on Gastroduodenal Motility in Healthy Volunteers	N/A
Completed	`NCT03700736` - The Healthy Moms Study: Comparison of a Post-Partum Weight Loss Intervention Delivered Via Facebook or In-Person Groups	N/A
Active, not recruiting	`NCT04353726` - Knowledge-based Dietary Weight Management.	N/A
Completed	`NCT02948283` - Metformin Hydrochloride and Ritonavir in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia	Phase 1
Completed	`NCT03377244` - Healthy Body Healthy Souls in the Marshallese Population	N/A
Completed	`NCT02877004` - LLLT for Reducing Waste Circumference and Weight	N/A
Active, not recruiting	`NCT04327141` - Low Sugar Protein Pacing, Intermittent Fasting Diet in Men and Women	N/A
Completed	`NCT03929198` - Translation of Pritikin Program to the Community	N/A
Recruiting	`NCT05249465` - Spark: Finding the Optimal Tracking Strategy for Weight Loss in a Digital Health Intervention	N/A
Recruiting	`NCT05942326` - Sleep Goal-focused Online Access to Lifestyle Support	N/A
Completed	`NCT00535600` - Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Insulin
Not yet recruiting	`NCT03601273` - Bariatric Embolization Trial for the Obese Nonsurgical	Phase 1
Active, not recruiting	`NCT04357119` - Common Limb Length in One-anastomosis Gastric Bypass	N/A
Completed	`NCT03210207` - Gastric Plication in Mexican Patients	N/A
Completed	`NCT02948517` - Time Restricted Feeding for Weight Loss and Cardio-protection	N/A
Completed	`NCT03139760` - POWERSforID: A Telehealth Weight Management System for Adults With Intellectual Disability	N/A
Completed	`NCT02945410` - Effect of Caloric Restriction and Protein Intake on Metabolism and Anabolic Sensitivity	N/A
Recruiting	`NCT02559479` - A Study to Assess the Effect of a Normal vs. High Protein Diets in Carbohydrates Metabolism in Obese Subjects With Diabetes or Prediabetes	N/A