Biopsychosocial factors in drives for muscularity and muscle dysmorphia among personal trainers

Muscle dysmorphia (MD) is a type of body dysmorphic disorder related to body image disturbances associated with musculature and leanness. This study surveyed the presence of MD and drive for muscularity (DFM) in both male and female personal trainers (n=1039, M-age=35.10, SD=.38) using a biopsychosocial foundation. Prevalence rates for MD and a DFM in the current sample were 23 and 28%, respectively. Kendall's tau-b revealed that general appearance concerns, muscle concerns, and somatic features were positively related to both MD and a DFM. A DFM and MD were significantly, positively correlated with internalization of thin ideals, muscular/athletic ideals, family and peer pressures, but not media pressures. All psychopathologic variables (depression, anxiety, hostility, somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive) were significantly and positively related to MD and DFM. Men and women who displayed high MD and DFM behaviors did so with little disparity, suggesting that these behaviors may be less gender-specific for personal trainers. Physique concealment was the only subscale of the MDI to depict a significantly positive relationship with every variable across each biopsychosocial dimension except for race, suggesting that this behavior may be more central to MD than putatively believed. This study furthers the extant knowledge of MD and a DFM by exploring an under-researched population and providing data structured in a unique biopsychosocial framework that serves as a viable basis for continued research with this and other populations.