Mental Health in Fitness Instructors

Body image in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors) by Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2). The scale comprises 10 items rated on a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always), with higher total scoring indicating more positive body appreciation.

Prevalence of eating disorders in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors) by Eating disorders Examination questionnaire (EDE-q). The questionnaire has 6 items with open scorings reporting frequency of symptoms, and 22 items scored on a likert scale from 0-6 (no days - all days). The questionnaire has a total score and four subscales, with higher scorings (ranging from 0-6) indicative of higher severity.

Symptoms of depression in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors) by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-1a). It consists of 21 items scored on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (extreme). Total score range is 0-63, and a cutoff score of ≥21 is recommended for use to detect a clinically significant episode of major depression.

Symptoms of mental health symptoms in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors) by Symptom Check List (SCL-10). The 10-item questionnaire measures symptoms of anxiety and depression with a likert scale ranging from 0-4 (not at all - very much), with higher scoring meaning higher clinical severity.

Symptoms of drive for leanness in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors) by Drive for Leanness scale. It constitutes 6 questions scored by a 6 point scale ranging from never (1) to always (6) with a possible total score 0-36, and in which higher score is indicative of greater investment in leanness.

Symptoms of drive for muscularity in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors) by Drive for Muscularity Scale. It constitutes seven questions scored on a 6 points scale ranging from (1) always to (6) never, uses a reversed coding in analysis, and has a total score of 15-90 (high score means higher DM).

Symptoms of compulsive exercise in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors) by Compulsive exercise test (CET). CET is a 24-item instrument scored on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = never true, 5 = always true), and evaluated with five different subscale mean scores (avoidance and rule driven behaviour, weight control exercise, mood improvement, lack of exercise enjoyment, and exercise rigidity), and a global score summing the means of subscales (score range 0-30).

Symptoms of drive for thinness in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors) by Drive for Thinness subscale (DT) of Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-3). The subscales constitutes 7 of the totally 91 questions in the EDI-3, and is scored on a likert scale from 0-4, with higher scoring meaning higher clinical severity, and a suggested clinical cutoff of 14.

Experience of sexual harassment in professional work by fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors). This is screened by questions on experiences of harassment of different character (comments, characteristic bodily movements, or physical touch or abuse), and scored on a scale by alternatives; never, yes-by collegues, yes-by clients, yes-by leaders.

Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors). The questionnaire has subscales that assess internalization (general, athlete), pressures, and information, and is scored from 1-5 (def. disagree - def. agree), with higher scorings indicating higher clinical severity.

Symptoms of eating behavior in fitness instructors (personal trainers and group instructors) by Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFE-q 21). TFE-q measures symptoms of cognitive restrictive eating (RE, 6 items), emotional eating (EE, 6 items), and uncontrolled eating (UE, 9 items). It constitutes 20 questions rating agreements to different assertions by score of 1-4, and one question rating agreement by 1-8 points. The total subscale scores may be presented as raw scores, or as transformed scores (scale 0-100), and higher scorings means higher clinical severity.

Body weight history (i.e. body weight fluctuations) in fitness instructors, reported by selfreported minimum and maximum adult bodyweight.

Dieting behavior: questions on whether they aim to reduce og gain body weight, and by which methods (several choices), by what guidance (several choices), what frequency of meal intake per day, and whether they use supplements (and if so: which supplements).

selfreported history of eating disorders by fitness instructors

Personal experiences of body image idealization in professional career by fitness instructors. Do they experience body image idealization (yes/no), in what areas of professional work (by clients, by colleagues, by the work facility culture), does it affect them positively or negatively, do they recognize any preventive or awarness-raising work from the administration/workplace, is this procedure actually complied with.

Use of, and experienced influence by, social media in fitness instructors. Selfreported use of social media (which social media), their motivation in doing so, and for what purposes/motivations social media is followed by oneself.