Measurement of exercise orientation in normalsubjects: gender and age differences

This study describes the development and evaluation of a questionnaire to measureexercise attitudes and behavior including those associated with psychopathology. A 49-itemExercise Orientation Questionnaire (EOQ) was administered to the following groups: 103undergraduate college students, 40 attendees at two professional conferences, and 111 membersof a jury pool. Factor analysis yielded 6 clearly interpretable factors which accounted for 44.6%of the total variance: (1) Self-control, (2) Orientation to Exercise, (3) Self Loathing, (4) WeightReduction, (5) Competition, and (6) Identity. Twenty-two items were eliminated on the basis ofthe factor analysis for a final total of 27 items. Alpha coefficients for the factors ranged from0.74 to 0.87, with 0.92 for the total score, suggesting excellent reliability. Good concurrentvalidity was indicated by significant correlations between EOQ scores and ratings of exerciseinvestment, frequency, and duration. The two largest groups, university students and jury poolmembers, were compared on the basis of age and sex. Females scored higher on WeightReduction while Males scored higher on Identity. Young males scored higher than older maleson Self Control, Self Loathing, Competition, and total EOQ score. Findings suggest that, whencompared to older men, young men in this culture are under greater stress and have a morenegative sense of body and self.