Peer Victimization and Physical Activity Attitudes and Behaviors in Transgender and Cisgender Individuals
Year: 2012
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: PURPOSE: Transgender individuals are more likely to be the targets of peer victimization than their cisgender counterparts.Emerging research has demonstrated a potential negative link between peer victimization and physical activity behavior.The purpose was to examine self-reported peer victimization, physical activity behavior and attitudes regarding physical activity in transgender and cisgender adults.Eighty (N = 33 Transgender, and 47 Cisgender) adults completed validated questionnaires assessing; peer victimization, physical activity behavior, social support for physical activity and self-efficacy for physical activity.METHODS: The peer victimization questionnaire asked participants about their peer interactions as children and contained the following sub-scales: Overt Victimization Subscale (OVS), Relational Subscale (RS) and Pro-social Receipt Subscale (PRS).Each of these subscales was summed individually.RESULTS: Transgender individuals had a significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater BMI, OVS and RS and lower PRS, social support for physical activity and self-efficacy for physical activity than cisgender adults.There was a trend (p = 0.06) towards a difference in physical activity between groups.Self efficacy (r = 0.52), social support (r = 0.49), PRS (r = 0.34), OVS (r = -0.3)and BMI (r = -0.25)were significantly (p ≤ 0.03) correlated to physical activity.RS (r = -0.18)was not (p = 0.1) correlated to physical activity.CONCLUSION: Transgender individuals were less physically active, received less social support, had lower self-efficacy, were more victimized and had a greater average BMI than cisgender individuals.Transgender individuals appear to be an excellent model for studying the effects of negative social interaction on physical activity behavior.
Author: Megan M. Muchicko
Institution: Kent State University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2584886825