Abstract: Relationships between Violent Sexual Victimization and Muscle-Building Exercise Among Adolescents from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Society for Social Work and Research 27th Annual Conference - Social Work Science and Complex Problems: Battling Inequities + Building Solutions)
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171P Relationships between Violent Sexual Victimization and Muscle-Building Exercise Among Adolescents from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Schedule:
Friday, January 13, 2023
Phoenix C, 3rd Level (Sheraton Phoenix Downtown)
* noted as presenting author
Kyle Ganson, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
Alexander Testa, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Rachel Rodgers, PhD, Associate Professor, Northeastern University
Dylan Jackson, PhD, Assistant Professor, The Johns Hopkins University
Jason Nagata, MD, Assistant Professor, University of California, San Francisco, CA
Background and Purpose: Violent sexual victimization, including dating and non-dating sexual violence, is common among adolescents, particularly among girls. While prior research has identified trauma-related responses of such victimization, such as body dissatisfaction and eating disorder behaviors, no known research has investigated the association between violent sexual victimization and muscle-building exercise. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between violent sexual victimization and muscle-building exercise among U.S. adolescents.

Methods: Data from the 2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N=8,408) were analyzed. Two indicators of non-dating-related sexual violence (lifetime, past 12 months), along with one indicator of adolescent sexual violence (past 12 months), were assessed. A violent sexual victimization sum score was created. Days of muscle-building in the past week were reported. Multiple multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted with coefficients transformed to relative risk ratios (RRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to determine the associations between the four violent sexual victimization variables and level of engagement in muscle-building exercise (none, low, moderate, and high).

Results: Among the overall sample 8,408 participants (50.3% girls), lifetime violent sexual victimization (RRR 1.87, 95% CI 1.29-2.72), past 12-month violent sexual victimization (RRR 1.60, 95% 1.15-2.22), past 12-month sexual dating violence (RRR 1.60, 95% 1.03-2.51), and experiencing three (relative to zero) violent sexual victimizations (RRR 2.31, 95% 1.27-4.18) were associated greater relative risk of high engagement (i.e., 6-7 days) of muscle-building exercise relative to no engagement. Analyses stratified by sex showed no significant associations between violent sexual victimization and engagement in muscle-building exercise among boys. However, among girls, lifetime violent sexual victimization (RRR 1.93, 95% CI 1.23-3.05), past 12-month violent sexual victimization (RRR 1.58, 95% 1.07-2.33), and experiencing three (relative to zero) violent sexual victimizations (RRR 2.44, 95% 1.22-4.89) were associated greater relative risk of high engagement (i.e., 6-7 days) of muscle-building exercise relative to no engagement.

Conclusions and Implications: A history of violent sexual victimization is associated with greater involvement in muscle-building exercise, particularly among adolescent girls. Findings align with theories of trauma-related responses, body dissatisfaction and eating disorder behaviors, underscoring the need for more research and clinical social work interventions.

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