Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
206,690 studies31 sourcesUpdated 10 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0International Journal of Public Health

Body dissatisfaction among French and German sports science students – a cross-country comparison

  • Elke Grimminger-Seidensticker1
  • Gaëlle Le Bot2
  • David Savage3
  • Elodie Chaplais4
4 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Exercise and Health, Paderborn University, Paderborn, Germany
  2. 2Inter-University Laboratory for Education and Communication Sciences UR 2310, University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
  3. 3School of Education and Lifelong Learning, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
  4. 4Development, Adaptation, Handicap Laboratory UR 3450, University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Objectives: This cross-country study examines body (dis)satisfaction in relation to motives for using fitness-related social media among sports science students in Germany and France.

Methods: A total of 523 German (mean age 21.22) and 611 French (mean age 19.85) sports science students completed a questionnaire to assess body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, drive for size, and motives for engaging with fitness-related social media.

Results: Two-way factorial ANOVAs revealed that French students exhibited significantly greater body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness compared to their German counterparts. French female students demonstrated a stronger drive for size; male French students demonstrated a stronger drive for thinness. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that body image issues were predicted by gender, country, and social media motives, such as seeking dieting ideas.

Conclusion: Qualitative studies are necessary to investigate unconventional body image concerns among French students. Given that future practitioners act as role models and may be responsible for developing health education programs, it is crucial to ensure that they can educate others in a healthy manner.

Related

  1. Physical activity and body dissatisfaction among female university students: a three-wave study of psychological flexibility and resilience
    Youshan Zhang, Zhigang Liu, Chang Hu +1
    Frontiers in PsychiatryPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textPsychiatry & mental healthCrossrefEurope PMCPMC
  2. Missed EU targets? Polish HPV vaccination uptake in a 9-country comparison
    M Geremek, J Kobza
    The European Journal of Public HealthPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Full textEpidemiology & public healthPMCEurope PMC
  3. Maternal and neonatal outcomes in SLE: comparison of 430 pregnancies from the French GR2 study with 1720 pregnancies from French perinatal surveys
    Amandine Dernoncourt, Jean Schmidt, Gaëlle Guettrot-Imbert +27
    Lupus Science & MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Full textGeneral medicinePMC
  4. Stress, coping profiles and anxiety among French final-year medical students in a high-stakes national ranking examination: a cross-sectional study
    Amandine Mathé, François Tison, François Sztark +9
    BMJ OpenPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textGeneral biologyCardiovascular medicineHAL
  5. Mental health and learning conditions among French physiotherapy students: a nationwide cross-sectional study of individual, educational and contextual factors
    Maeva Petit, Arnaud Delafontaine, François-Régis Sarhan
    BMC Medical EducationPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDGeneral biologyGeneral medicineHAL

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{grimmingerseidensticker2026body,
  title = {{Body dissatisfaction among French and German sports science students – a cross-country comparison}},
  author = {Elke Grimminger-Seidensticker and Gaëlle Le Bot and David Savage and Elodie Chaplais},
  journal = {International Journal of Public Health},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/ijph.2026.1610065},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2026.1610065},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Body dissatisfaction among French and German sports science students – a cross-country comparison
AU  - Elke Grimminger-Seidensticker
AU  - Gaëlle Le Bot
AU  - David Savage
AU  - Elodie Chaplais
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/21
JO  - International Journal of Public Health
DO  - 10.3389/ijph.2026.1610065
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2026.1610065
AB  - Objectives: This cross-country study examines body (dis)satisfaction in relation to motives for using fitness-related social media among sports science students in Germany and France.  Methods: A total of 523 German (mean age 21.22) and 611 French (mean age 19.85) sports science students completed a questionnaire to assess body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, drive for size, and motives for engaging with fitness-related social media.  Results: Two-way factorial ANOVAs revealed that French students exhibited significantly greater body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness compared to their German counterparts. French female students demonstrated a stronger drive for size; male French students demonstrated a stronger drive for thinness. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that body image issues were predicted by gender, country, and social media motives, such as seeking dieting ideas.  Conclusion: Qualitative studies are necessary to investigate unconventional body image concerns among French students. Given that future practitioners act as role models and may be responsible for developing health education programs, it is crucial to ensure that they can educate others in a healthy manner.
SN  - 1661-8556
SN  - 1661-8564
ER  -