6533b86dfe1ef96bd12ca138

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The relationship between physical activity and physical self-esteem in adolescents: the role of physical fitness indices.

subject

description

The aim of this study was to investigate if physical fitness (strength/power, endur ance, flexibility and coordination) mediates the cross-sectional relationship between physical activity and physical self-perception (athletic competence and physical appearance) in a sample of 15-year old adolescents. We wanted to investigate the relative strength of each indirect effect. The present data are taken from two waves of a larger data collection for the project “Youth in Balance”, and was collected in the autumn of 2005 (N = 1207) and 2008 (N = 632). A total of 1839 students (889 girls and 950 boys) from 12 schools in Kristiansand took part. A bias-corrected bootstrapping technique was used to examine indirect effects. Results revealed that cardiovascular endurance, lower-body strength/power, and upper-body strength stood out as unique mediators in the relationship between physical activity and athletic competence in both genders. Furthermore, there was an indirect effect of physical activity on physical appearance through physical strength/power and flexibility in males. No indirect effects of physical activity on physical appearance through actual physical fitness indices were detected in females. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar el grado de influencia del nivel de aptitud fisica (fuerza/potencia, resistencia, flexibilidad y coordinacion) sobre la relacion transversal establecida entre el nivel de actividad fisica y la auto percepcion del rendimiento fisico (capacidad deportiva y apariencia fisica) en una muestra de adolescentes de 15 anos de edad. Se deseaba investigar el grado de influencia relativa de cada efecto indirecto. Los datos presentados en este estudio, formaban parte de dos muestras pertenecientes al proyecto “jovenes en equilibrio” las cuales fueron recolectadas en otono de 2005 (N=1207) y 2008 (N=632). Un total de 1839 estudiantes (889 chicas y 950 varones) de 12 escuelas de Kristiansand tomaron parte en el estudio. Se aplico la tecnica bootstrapping para corregir el sesgo y analizar los efectos indirectos. Low resultados revelaron que los unicos mediadores con gran influencia sobre la relacion entre el nivel de actividad fisica y la capacidad deportiva en ambos sexos fueron: El nivel de Resistencia cardiorrespiratoria, la fuerza/ potencia de las extremidades inferiores y la fuerza de las extremidades superiores.