Relationship Between Body Image Perception and Physical Activity Motivation Among Female Adolescents in Oyo State

Body image perceptions significantly influence the psychological readiness of female adolescents to engage in physical activity, with negative body image constituting a well-documented barrier to participation in movement-based contexts. This study analyses the relationship between body image perception and physical activity motivation among female senior secondary school students in Oyo State, South West Nigeria. A cross-sectional analytical survey was conducted among 360 female students from 12 secondary schools using validated instruments including the Body Image Satisfaction Scale, the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Structural equation modelling examined the pathways through which body image satisfaction influences autonomous and controlled motivation types and subsequently physical activity behaviour. Findings reveal that body image satisfaction is significantly positively associated with autonomous physical activity motivation and inversely associated with controlled motivation characterised by appearance-based exercise reasons. The structural model indicates that body image satisfaction exerts both direct and motivation-mediated effects on physical activity levels, with autonomous motivation fully mediating the body image-activity relationship. Media exposure to idealised body standards is negatively associated with body image satisfaction, independent of actual body weight status. Recommendations include incorporating body image literacy education into physical education programmes, adopting mastery-oriented motivational climates in physical education lessons, and training teachers to deliver body-positive messaging during activity instruction. Keywords: body image, physical activity motivation, female adolescents, Oyo State, structural equation modelling