Physical self-esteem – a ten-year follow-up study from early adolescence to early adulthood
-
Anders Raustorp
and
Magnus Lindwall
Abstract
Introduction: One variable that has been consistently associated with adolescents’ physical activity is perceived activity competence. Perceived physical (or sport) competence is considered a sub-domain to the physical self-esteem or self-worth (i.e., a person’s valuation of what is good and worthy in their self-description).
Objective: This study aimed to describe levels of and inter-correlations among physical self-esteem, physical activity, and body mass index in a longitudinal design spanning adolescence to early adulthood.
Materials and methods: At mean ages of 12.7, 15.7, 17.7 and 22.7 years, we measured perceived physical self-esteem in 39 (22 boys) Swedish adolescents. Physical activity (steps/day) for four consecutive schooldays, height, and weight were also measured.
Results: No significant difference between the four time points for any variable of perceived physical self-esteem was seen, neither in boys nor girls. In general, all physical self-variables revealed non-linear trajectories across time, where the general trend was an increase during the younger ages followed by a decrease during older ages. At ages 12 and 15 years in boys and girls physical condition and physical strength as well as body attractiveness and physical strength, respectively, had the strongest correlations to physical self-esteem. At age 17 and 22 years sports competence had the strongest correlation to self-esteem in girls, while body attractiveness and physical strength had the strongest correlation to self-esteem in boys.
Conclusion: An overall stability in physical self-esteem was found. However the impact of a sub-domain upon physical self-esteem vary during adolescence and early adulthood. Such information may be useful when creating physical activity programs that support and develop physical self-esteem.
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©2015 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
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- Physical self-esteem – a ten-year follow-up study from early adolescence to early adulthood
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- Outcome of adolescents with eating disorders from an adolescent medicine service at a large children’s hospital
- Female adolescents’ perspective about reproductive health education needs: a mixed methods study with explanatory sequential design
- Study of menstrual patterns in adolescent girls with disabilities in a residential institution
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- Health care providers and adolescents’ perspectives towards adolescents’ health education needs: a need assessment based on comparative approach
- Determinants of abortion decisions among Ghanaian university students
- Predictors of peer victimization among Peruvian adolescents in the young lives cohort
- Risk of eating disorders among university students in Bangladesh
- Short Communication
- Nutrition and physical activity during the transition from adolescence to adulthood: further research is warranted
- Letter
- Losing lives to the peril of ragging
Articles in the same Issue
- 10.1515/ijamh-2015-frontmatter1
- Editorial
- Pregnant, even when you did not want to be pregnant
- Original articles
- How adolescents learn about risk perception and behavior in regards to alcohol use in light of social learning theory: a qualitative study in Bogotá, Colombia
- An assessment of basic nutrition knowledge of adolescents with eating disorders and their parents
- More than a break: the impact of a social-pedagogical intervention during young persons’ long-term hospital admission – a qualitative study
- Effect of external classroom noise on schoolchildren’s reading and mathematics performance: correlation of noise levels and gender
- Physical self-esteem – a ten-year follow-up study from early adolescence to early adulthood
- Street hawking among in-school adolescents in a south-western town in Nigeria: pattern, determinants and effects on school performance
- Outcome of adolescents with eating disorders from an adolescent medicine service at a large children’s hospital
- Female adolescents’ perspective about reproductive health education needs: a mixed methods study with explanatory sequential design
- Study of menstrual patterns in adolescent girls with disabilities in a residential institution
- Characteristics of hand sanitizer ingestions by adolescents reported to poison centers
- Health care providers and adolescents’ perspectives towards adolescents’ health education needs: a need assessment based on comparative approach
- Determinants of abortion decisions among Ghanaian university students
- Predictors of peer victimization among Peruvian adolescents in the young lives cohort
- Risk of eating disorders among university students in Bangladesh
- Short Communication
- Nutrition and physical activity during the transition from adolescence to adulthood: further research is warranted
- Letter
- Losing lives to the peril of ragging
