Objectives: Test whether weight motives and guilt/shame mediate the positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use among college-attending young adults.
Design: A longitudinal design was employed.
Method: Young adults who were attending college (N=371) completed two self-administered questionnaires separated by approximately one month. Heavy episodic drinking was assessed at Time 1. Vigorous physical activity, moderate physical activity, weight motives, and guilt/shame were assessed at Time 2.
Results: Results are consistent with weight motives as a mediator of the positive relationship between heavy episodic drinking and vigorous physical activity. Results were inconsistent with guilt/shame as a mediator of this relationship. There was no statistically significant relationship between heavy episodic drinking and moderate physical activity.
Conclusions: Heavy episodic drinking was related to vigorous but not to moderate physical activity in the subsequent 30-days. Furthermore, the results are consistent with weight motives as a mediator of the relationship between alcohol use and vigorous physical activity.
Keywords: Alcohol use; Exercise; Heavy episodic drinking; Physical activity; Substance use.
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