Name: Gerlaiden Palahang Course: BSED-PE

Year level: 2nd year

“PHYSICAL FITNESS AND SELF PERCEPTION IN ADOLESCENTS: APUBLIC

Introduction

Practice of physical activity (PA) and sport helps students during physical education (PE)

lessons and non-scholar time to acquire better feelings of personal satisfaction PA motivation,

and better self-perception of physical fitness (PF). Self-perception is a reflection of the student

about their capacity to meet the physical limits in PA and sports. According to Fox et al.,

physical self-perception is the main characteristic of the search for mental health and well-being.

On the other hand, self-perception of PF is considered to be multidimensional, composed by

perceived PF and athletic competence in sport activities and activities with component of

muscular strength, flexibility or cardiorespiratory fitness. Moreover, perception of the own PF is

sensitive to variations in PA levels and psychological self-satisfaction (e.g., body-image,

satisfaction during PA practice, insecurity, etc.).

Self-reported PF in children and adolescents is useful to establish possible cardiovascular

disease risk and diverse levels of PF in this population. Thus, personal physical self-perception

assessed by validated instrument could be considered as an important social cognitive

perspective to provide suitable mental health in children and adolescents. Moreover, self-

perception of physical fitness in youth is related with a positive identity and less behavior

disorders when they practice PA. Adolescent students’ behaviors during a class or their leisure

time may vary depending on a number of factors, such as sport motivation, acceptation of their
self on sport activities or the satisfaction of physical competence by physical self-perception. It

considers that the correct physical self-perception strongly influences teenager and adolescent

motivation and the low or high control of self-perception behaviors, and is the reason for the

proliferation of studies in this regard. The physical self-concept shows a relative importance

because it is based on the relationship between the individual’s personal beliefs and their

subsequent behavior.

Sport activities for adolescents offer multiple possibilities to improve personal and

interpersonal skills, and therefore a better sport competence. On the other hand, girls

‘perceptions of social competence are not as high as the boys´ perception in sport practice and

this fact must be taken into account in gender comparative studies. Another PSPP subscale is

physical strength which is strongly associated with general self-concept, happiness and life

satisfaction. In this line, physical strength self-perception has shown to be associated with

general fitness in younger population, specifically with boys for the obsession to show the

muscularity of these. Self-confidence and social identity respect to the sport participation´s

interest for adolescent could vary with the time and it is important to begin the contact with sport

activities from an early age to stablish a natural relationship and a strong self-confidence in the

young practitioner. Self-confidence in boys is normally higher than in girls because they like to

be more active in sports and every activity of their daily life.

Value of the Study

In this study, important results showed that positive attractive body, sport competence,

physical strength, and self-confidence (all, PSPP subscales) were significant mediators in the link

between gender and OPF. Adolescent students of the present study experienced differences

between genders in those PSPP subscales. A multitude of reasons maybe attributed to the
observed differences in the physical self-concept of boys and girls. In this sense, it must be

highlighted that girls normally show a less favorable relationship with the five PSPP subscales

than boys, specifically in physical condition, sport competence, and attractive body. According

to the last PSPP subscale, attractive body plays an important role in youth because the obsession

with perfection of the body is constant in their daily life. In fact, the fascination for beauty is

common in all ages and sectors of society and not only characteristic of young people. The

feeling of beauty and satisfaction with one’s own body may accompany the growth and

maturation of both boys and girls since early childhood. Youngsters undergo physical and

cognitive changes just before the beginning of the adolescence that influence their personal and

social identity construction process.

However, attractive body could not be affected directly by the practice of PA because

changes of PA in adolescent girls are mainly predicted by the physical condition perceived

instead of cognitive variables such as body image self-perception. This means that we must be

cautious with the findings about the mediation of attractive body between gender and OPF.

Differences by biological characteristics between boys and girls must be also taken into account

as a possible explanation of the attractive body mediation on OPF, specifically in girls. Puberty

signs appear before in girls than boys, with numerous physiological modification as breast and

pubic hair development, facial features, etc. Moreover, some body symmetry and hormone

signals are often perceived as attractive or unattractive among young children and adolescents.

Thus, girls could try to hide their physical changes in physical tasks as physical exercise or sport

and consequently, showing lower OPF because they feel less attractive.

Preliminary Literature Review

perception in their instrument physical self-perception profile (PSPP) with the purpose to analyze

the effects of the relationship between physical´s perception and participation in PA and sport

activities: physical condition, attractive body, sport competence, physical strength and self-

confidence.

In their meta-analysis, Groesz et al found that the greatest decline in body satisfaction

occurred in girls under the age of 19 following exposure to overtly thin media images. Recent

studies indicate that current diet, exercise, and beauty trends displayed in reality television shows

and social media outlets can contribute to unhealthy adolescent body perceptions. For example,

Ashikali et al found that 15–18-year old girls exposed to a cosmetic surgery show (ie, Dr 90210)

reported more weight-related and appearance dissatisfaction than a control group exposed to a

home improvement show (ie, Extreme Makeover Home Edition).

Tiggemann and Slater found that among 13–15-year old girls, body image concerns

increased with time spent on the Internet and Facebook usage. Meier and Gray further

identified that the time spent on Facebook was less important than the degree of exposure to

appearance-specific media such as photo sharing, which was positively associated with body

image concerns. These findings suggest that in addition to print media, current television and

Internet trends are sources of promoting unrealistic and so-called ideal images to adolescents. As

a continually evolving and ubiquitous source of information on body ideals, Perloff calls for

more research on the Internet, social media, and their influence on body image among

adolescents.

Statement of the Problem

in sports, and beliefs about personal physical activity and physical fitness are associated with

adolescents' psychosomatic health complaints (PHC) in relation to their lifestyles.

1. Adolescents demonstrating poorer health-related behavioral profiles in terms of

1.1 age,

1.2 smoking

1.3 alcohol assumption

1.4 unhealthy foods

2. Physical activity and sports participation were related to lower PH

1.1 hours of internet use

1.2 and poor personal fitness perception

3. Positive physical activity and physical fitness perception changed the associations between

PHC and unhealthy lifestyle

1.1 Lower physical activity and self-perceived insufficient physical activity

1.2 perception of physical fitness as being poor