Intuitive exercise includes the ability to attend to bodily cues, be mindful during movement, and use diverse movement patterns (Reel et al., 2016). The measure utilized to assess it is the Intuitive Exercise Scale (IEXS; Reel et al., 2016), validated for English-speakers. However, an evaluation of the IEXS in other sociocultural contexts, such as Italy, is still lacking. Thus, the present study aimed to examine the factorial structure, gender invariance, internal consistency, and convergent validity of an Italian translation of the IEXS. Moreover, we explored whether intuitive exercise might be related to gender and physical activity. In a sample of 1258 participants (54% women; age: M=43.59, SD=12.70; 61% performing physical activities), we highlighted a four-factor structure as adequate, replicating the factorial structure for non-clinical individuals already described for English-speakers. Moreover, gender invariance was supported and internal consistency was adequate. The four subscales demonstrated small-to-moderate correlations with intuitive eating, body appreciation, and body functionality appreciation. In individuals practicing physical activities, small correlations emerged with exercise addiction symptoms, except for emotional exercise that demonstrated a strong positive correlation. Emotional exercise, body trust, and exercise rigidity were associated with practicing physical activities, but not with gender. On the opposite, mindful exercise was associated with gender (i.e., being women), but not with practicing physical activities. The current fndings corroborated the four-factor structure of the IEXS for Italian-speakers, as well as its internal consistency, gender invariance, and convergent validity. Finally, practicing physical activities seemed to be associated with reporting higher levels of intuitive exercising.

Intuitive Exercise Scale (IEXS): analysis of the factorial structure and the psychometric properties of an Italian version

Paolo Mancin
;
Marta Ghisi;Silvia Cerea
2024

Abstract

Intuitive exercise includes the ability to attend to bodily cues, be mindful during movement, and use diverse movement patterns (Reel et al., 2016). The measure utilized to assess it is the Intuitive Exercise Scale (IEXS; Reel et al., 2016), validated for English-speakers. However, an evaluation of the IEXS in other sociocultural contexts, such as Italy, is still lacking. Thus, the present study aimed to examine the factorial structure, gender invariance, internal consistency, and convergent validity of an Italian translation of the IEXS. Moreover, we explored whether intuitive exercise might be related to gender and physical activity. In a sample of 1258 participants (54% women; age: M=43.59, SD=12.70; 61% performing physical activities), we highlighted a four-factor structure as adequate, replicating the factorial structure for non-clinical individuals already described for English-speakers. Moreover, gender invariance was supported and internal consistency was adequate. The four subscales demonstrated small-to-moderate correlations with intuitive eating, body appreciation, and body functionality appreciation. In individuals practicing physical activities, small correlations emerged with exercise addiction symptoms, except for emotional exercise that demonstrated a strong positive correlation. Emotional exercise, body trust, and exercise rigidity were associated with practicing physical activities, but not with gender. On the opposite, mindful exercise was associated with gender (i.e., being women), but not with practicing physical activities. The current fndings corroborated the four-factor structure of the IEXS for Italian-speakers, as well as its internal consistency, gender invariance, and convergent validity. Finally, practicing physical activities seemed to be associated with reporting higher levels of intuitive exercising.
2024
ANZAED 2023 Gold Coast Conference: Oral & Poster Abstracts
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3518343
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