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Development and validation of a scale for the tendency to exercise in response to mood, eating, and body image cues: the Reactive Exercise Scale (RES)

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Abstract

Purpose

Earlier work on engaging in physical exercise when experiencing negative affect demonstrated robust associations with eating disorder (ED) behaviors and attitudes; however, measurement of the behavior was primitive, relying on one yes/no question that cannot capture much variability. We report on the development of a self-report measure, the Reactive Exercise Scale (RES), that disentangles the tendency to engage in exercise in response to negative mood cues from the tendency to engage in exercise in response to eating and body image cues, which themselves may be associated with negative mood. The measure also assesses exercising in response to positive mood cues.

Methods

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) guided item and factor selection. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in an independent sample tested a 3-factor solution—exercising in response to negative mood cues, eating and body image cues, and positive mood cues. Correlations with exercise attitudes, eating disorder and body image attitudes, mood, and personality were used to evaluate construct validity.

Results

Results supported the 3-factor structure and indicated that exercising in response to negative mood cues may not uniquely relate to most aspects of ED psychopathology when accounting for eating and body image cues, which themselves are associated with negative mood.

Conclusion

The RES captures the tendency to exercise in response to negative mood, positive mood, and eating and body image cues. Together, these constructs allow researchers to examine the unique relations of negative mood cued exercise with ED constructs, while accounting for appearance-related motives for which exercise may also be used.

Level of evidence

Level III: evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA

    Kyle P. De Young, P. Evelyna Kambanis, Angeline R. Bottera & Christopher J. Mancuso

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  1. Kyle P. De Young
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  2. P. Evelyna Kambanis
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  3. Angeline R. Bottera
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  4. Christopher J. Mancuso
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Correspondence to Kyle P. De Young.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. The studies reported here were not funded. All participants provided informed consent to participate prior to beginning study procedures. The University of North Dakota institutional review board approved this research.

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All participants provided informed consent to participate prior to beginning study procedures. A statement was already present for study 1. I added one for study 2.

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De Young, K.P., Kambanis, P.E., Bottera, A.R. et al. Development and validation of a scale for the tendency to exercise in response to mood, eating, and body image cues: the Reactive Exercise Scale (RES). Eat Weight Disord 27, 3317–3330 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-022-01462-y

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