Distinction between drive and concern with muscularity in adult women and it's impact on body image.

• Grant number: 24/08757-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Maria Fernanda Laus
• Grantee: Vitória Bagolin
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

For a long time, women have aimed for increasingly thinner bodies, however, there is a growing desire among women to become more muscular. During this search for the body considered ideal, problems with body image are observed and are capable of triggering conditions such as eating disorders and muscle dysmorphic disorder. Thus, instruments such as the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) and Female Muscularity Scale (FMS) were developed with the aim of assessing drive and concerns about muscularity, respectively. Although there are two scales evaluated in aspects related to muscularity, there seems to be a distinction between the constructs, which has not yet been systematically tested. Therefore, the present study aims to demonstrate the difference between the constructs of "drive for muscularity" and "concern with muscularity" and their effect on the body image of adult women. 400 women between 18 and 50 years old will participate in the study. Data collection will be carried out virtually, through the REDCap platform and the invitation will be made via direct mail (email) and social networks. Data analysis will comprise descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation and frequencies), Pearson or Spearman test, demonstration difference test (Z test), Fischer test, two-way ANOVAs and multiple regression analyses.Keywords: Muscularity. Body image. Eating behavior. Eating disordered. (AU)