Empowered Fitness: Review and Evaluation of Empowerment Outcomes for Sexual Assault Victims in Women's Only Fitness

Amy N. Cole

Empowerment is a complex, multidimensional construct. Its frequent use has led it to be considered a “buzz word” by many; however, the value and importance of empowering marginalized groups such as women and victims of sexual assault remains salient. This multi-manuscript dissertation provides an in-depth review of empowerment research and justification for its measurement in physical activity settings; an evaluation of a community-driven, empowerment-focused group fitness class for women (Pink Gloves Boxing); and an exploration of how participation in that class can empower women who were victims of sexual violence. A mixed methods integrated process and impact evaluation examined the implementation and effectiveness of Pink Gloves Boxing (PGB), which has the stated objective of empowering women. Several constructs (e.g., self-efficacy for exercise, empowerment in exercise, perceptions of autonomy supportive environments, enjoyment, and self-compassion) were used to capture the higher-order nature of empowerment. Data were collected from three different club locations across the country. Qualitative results indicated that women in PGB felt a strong sense of community and a shared accountability for setting and attaining goals in a class that they find both enjoyable and supportive. There was variability in implementation fidelity and program adaptation across locations. Implementation fidelity negatively predicted participants’ perceptions of instructors’ autonomy supportive behaviors ((β = -0.65, p < .01) and increases in program adaptation were positively related to participants’ enjoyment (β = 0.26, p < .05). Finally, Multiple Indicator, Multiple Cause structural equation modeling was used to examine differences in empowerment outcomes among women based on their sexual victimization experience and their participation in either PGB or traditional group fitness classes. Results revealed that women in PGB who had been victimized were more empowered than victims (γ = -0.38, p < .01) and non-victims (γ = -0.24, p < .05) in traditional fitness. There were no significant differences based on victimization among those in PGB. Implications for research on empowerment in physical activity settings, program evaluation, and the empowering benefits of physical activity participation for victims of sexual assault are discussed.

Empowered Fitness: Review and Evaluation of Empowerment Outcomes for Sexual Assault Victims in Women's Only Fitness

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