Abstract
Objectives
Research has shown that women with large breasts experience increased breast motion,
which can act as a barrier to participating in physical activity. Despite this evidence,
limited research has investigated the effect of breast size on physical activity participation.
Design
Cross-sectional study.
Methods
355 Australian women (aged 18–75 years) who volunteered as participants were divided into four breast size groups (small,
medium, large and hypertrophic). All participants completed the Active Australia Survey
to assess their participation in physical activity in the previous week, and were
asked to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed that their breast size affected
their participation in physical activity. Participant responses to time spent in each
type of activity were compared across the four breast size groups using an ANCOVA
design, controlling for age.
Results
Participants with hypertrophic breasts participated in significantly less total physical
activity per week, particularly less vigorous-intensity physical activity, compared
to their counterparts with smaller breasts. Participants with large breasts also participated
in less vigorous-intensity physical activity compared to participants with small and
with medium breasts, and a high percentage of women with large and with hypertrophic
breasts perceived their breast size to affect the amount and intensity of physical
activity they performed.
Conclusions
Breast size should be acknowledged as a potential barrier to women participating in
physical activity. Strategies to assist women with large and hypertrophic breasts
participate in all types and intensities of physical activity are needed so women
can enjoy the health benefits associated with an active lifestyle.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 15, 2018
Accepted:
September 8,
2018
Received in revised form:
September 2,
2018
Received:
May 26,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
