Body image in physical education: a narrative review

Physical education (PE) has significant potential to shape how young people experience their own and others’ bodies. This potential has not always been realized in positive ways and some research suggests that experiences in PE have contributed to young people’s dissatisfaction with their appearances. The broad aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of body image as a pedagogical issue within PE. A narrative approach to the review is adopted that enables us to summarize, compare, explain and interpret various types of research relevant to our aim. From the databases ERIC, SCOPUS and PsycInfo, 25 articles were identified that deal with either body image in typical PE lessons or researcher-led attempts to influence students’ body image (what we have termed ‘pedagogic interventions’). Main findings are that: (1) PE has been presented as both part of the cause and a potential site of intervention to the problem of negative body image; (2) Researchers have based pedagogic interventions on four types of guiding principles; and (3) Researchers have made an array of recommendations for practitioners relating to gender, time, professional development and the characteristics of the pedagogical interventions. Findings are discussed in relation to broader research on body image in society and in PE with a focus on how the findings might inform further scientific practice.