## 3 Results
### Factors Influencing the Body Image of Female Long-Distance Runners  
In order to examine the associations between the anthropometric and body composition variables and body-image scales, stepwise regression analyses were conducted (Table 4). Among the scales and their subscales examined, \(\text{BSS}_{\text{General}}\) and its subscales (i.e., \(\text{BSS}_{\text{Head}}\) and \(\text{BSS}_{\text{Body}}\)) and \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Disparagement}}\), \(\text{EAT}_{\text{Total}}\) and the \(\text{EAT}_{\text{Bulimia}}\) subscale did not show associations with the anthropometric and body composition variables. On the other hand, biceps skinfold was found to be an important anthropometric variable for \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Total}}\) and for three BAQ subscales (i.e., \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Fat}}\), \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Salience}}\) and \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Lowerbody}}\)). Among the associated anthropometric parameters, those measured from the limbs, including triceps, biceps, front thigh skinfolds and mid-thigh and calf maximum girths, were found to have an important and strong influence on BAQ. Compared with the BAQ scores that showed associations with multiple anthropometric variables, the \(\text{EAT}_{\text{Diet}}\) and \(\text{EAT}_{\text{Oral}}\) subscales were found to be associated with only one anthropometric variable each with a lower \(\text{R}^{2}{}_{\text{Adj}}\). In addition to the physical parameters that influence the validated scale scores, major sources of information on physique and body composition were examined (Figure 1). While the vast majority did not utilize any sources to gain information on physique and body \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Dependent Variables** & **Variables** & **Standardized Coefficient \(\beta\)** & \(\mathbf{p}\)**-Value** & \(\mathbf{R}^{2}{}_{\text{Adj}}\) \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{\(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Total}}\)} & Biceps skinfold & 0.653 & 0.002 & \multirow{4}{*}{0.679} \\  & Age & \(-\)0.579 & \(<\)0.001 & \\  & Calf maximum girth & \(-\)0.625 & 0.002 & \\  & Triceps skinfold & 0.610 & 0.008 & \\ \hline \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Fat}}\) & Biceps skinfold & 0.609 & 0.003 & 0.340 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{\(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Strength}}\)} & Subscapular skinfold & 0.918 & \(<\)0.001 & \multirow{4}{*}{0.661} \\  & Triceps skinfold & \(-\)1.189 & \(<\)0.001 & \\  & Front thigh skinfold & 0.605 & 0.024 & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{\(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Salience}}\)} & Biceps skinfold & 0.809 & 0.002 & \\ \cline{2-5}  & Calf maximum girth & \(-\)0.559 & 0.022 & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{\(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Attractiveness}}\)} & Mid-thigh girth & \(-\)0.740 & 0.002 & \multirow{4}{*}{0.516} \\  & Body mass & 0.930 & \(<\)0.001 & \\  & Arm flexed and tensed girth & \(-\)0.575 & 0.017 & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{\(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Lowerbody}}\)} & Biceps skinfold & 0.598 & \(<\)0.001 & \multirow{4}{*}{0.583} \\  & Humerus breadth & \(-\)0.384 & 0.017 & \\  & Age & \(-\)0.329 & 0.039 & \\ \hline \(\text{EAT}_{\text{Diet}}\) & Triceps skinfold & 0.522 & 0.018 & 0.232 \\ \(\text{EAT}_{\text{Oral}}\) & Arm flexed and tensed girth & \(-\)0.603 & 0.005 & 0.329 \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{\(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Total}}\)} & Anthropometric variables with significant associations with body-image scale scores are presented. \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Total}}\): Ben-Tovin Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire (BAQ) total score; \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Pat}}\): BAO feeling at subscale; \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{strength}}\): BAQ strength and fitness subscale; \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Salience}}\): BAQ salience of weight and shape subscale; \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Attractiveness}}\): BAQ attractiveness subscale; \(\text{BAQ}_{\text{Lowerbody}}\): BAQ lower body fat subscale; \(\text{EAT}_{\text{Diet}}\): 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) diet subscale; \(\text{EAT}_{\text{Oral}}\): EAT oral control subscale; \(\text{R}^{2}{}_{\text{Adj}}\): adjusted coefficient of determination. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Regression equations for scale scores and anthropometric variables.