Body appreciation and resilience are associated with self-esteem among women competing in fitness and bodybuilding: a cross-sectional study
Abstract
Introduction Women who compete in fitness and bodybuilding participate in a sporting culture where muscularity, leanness, symmetry, and presentation are judged directly. Research has documented eating- and body-related risks, yet much less is known about positive psychological functioning in this population. This study examined how global self-esteem, body appreciation, and perceived capacity to recover from adversity are related, and whether these constructs differ across competitive divisions. Methods Item-level questionnaire data were analysed from 107 adult women competing in Bikini Fitness, Bikini Wellness, Bodyfitness/Shape, or Women's Physique/Bodybuilding. Participants completed Spanish versions of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Body Appreciation Scale-2, and Brief Resilience Scale. A reproducibility audit identified incorrect reverse scoring in the source self-esteem workbook and omission of one body-appreciation item; all scores were reconstructed from raw responses. Prespecified associations were estimated with Spearman correlations, Holm-adjusted tests, and 10,000-resample bootstrap confidence intervals. Division differences were assessed with Kruskal–Wallis tests. An exploratory multivariable model used HC3 robust standard errors. Results Participants were aged 22–56 years (M = 37.33, SD = 7.60). Self-esteem was positively associated with body appreciation (ρ = 0.616, 95% CI [0.462, 0.739]) and resilience (ρ = 0.559, 95% CI [0.388, 0.701]); body appreciation and resilience were also positively associated (ρ = 0.502, 95% CI [0.330, 0.643]; all Holm-adjusted p < 0.001). Psychological scores did not differ significantly across divisions. The adjusted model explained 56.4% of observed self-esteem variance (adjusted R2 = 0.538). Body appreciation (standardised β = 0.598, p < 0.001) and resilience (standardised β = 0.235, p = 0.015) remained independent statistical correlates, whereas age and division did not. Discussion A more appreciative relationship with the body and a greater perceived capacity to recover from stress were associated with higher global self-esteem in this specialised sample. The findings counter an exclusively pathologising account of women's physique sport, but they neither exclude coexisting risk nor demonstrate causal protection. Longitudinal studies spanning preparation, competition, and recovery are required to establish temporal direction and practical relevance.