Abstract
BackgroundThere is growing evidence that physical activity (PA) is beneficial for the mental health of young people. One area that has been widely examined is the impact of PA on ‘the self’, which is a term that encompasses a range of specific and related terms (e.g. self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-perceptions). There is evidence that PA is strongly associated with ‘the self’ in childhood and beyond. However, the impact of the specific PA of resistance training (RT) is not yet clear. The purpose of this review was to advance knowledge on the potential of RT for enhancing mental health by examining the effect of RT interventions on ‘the self’ in youth.MethodsThis systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registration number CRD42016038365). Electronic literature databases were searched from the year of their inception to October 2018. The search included English language articles that examined the effect of isolated RT on the broad term of ‘the self’ in youth, with participants of school age (5–18 years). Data were extracted using an electronic form by one reviewer with 10% conducted by a second reviewer. The ‘Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies’ was used to assess the quality and risk of bias and was conducted by two reviewers.ResultsFrom seven peer-reviewed studies, ten data sets were included exploring seven outcomes related to ‘the self’ in participants aged between 10 and 16 years. Four of these studies (including seven data sets) were combined in a meta-analysis, with results from the remaining three studies reported separately. Significant intervention effects were identified for resistance training self-efficacy (Hedges’ g = 0.538, 95% CI 0.254 to 0.822, P < 0.001), physical strength (Hedges’ g = 0.289, 95% CI 0.067 to 0.511, P = 0.011), physical self-worth (Hedges’ g = 0.319, 95% CI 0.114 to 0.523, P = 0.002) and global self-worth (Hedges’ g = 0.409, 95% 0.149 to 0.669, P = 0.002). Although not statistically significant, the effect sizes for the remaining three outcomes were body attractiveness (Hedges’ g = 0.211, 95% CI − 0.031 to 0.454, P = 0.087), physical condition (Hedges’ g = 0.089, 95% CI − 0.238 to 0.417, P = 0.593) and sport competence (Hedges’ g = 0.004, 95% CI − 0.218 to 0.225, P = 0.974). There was variable quality of studies, with just two studies being classified as ‘strong’.ConclusionThis is the first review to synthesise research on the effects of isolated RT interventions on ‘the self’. The findings indicate that RT has a positive impact on some aspects of ‘the self’ in youth. More high-quality studies should be conducted to further investigate this topic. If validated, this type of intervention could have a positive impact on ‘the self’ and ultimately improve the health of individuals not only during childhood but as they progress through life.
Highlights
There is growing evidence that physical activity (PA) is beneficial for the mental health of young people
Resistance training was found to have a positive effect on resistance training self-efficacy, perceived physical strength, physical self-worth, and global self-worth. This type of intervention, as recommended by the UK and WHO physical activity guidelines, could have a positive impact on ‘the self ’ and improve the health of individuals during childhood but as they progress through life
To allow an isolated review of resistance training (RT), all included studies employed RT methods but were excluded if they contained plyometric, vibration or neuromuscular training, training for rehabilitation purposes or additional activity. Some of these modes of training may be viewed as forms of RT, this review aimed to investigate if isolated strength exercises alone had an effect on ‘the self’, as in particular plyometric training and rehabilitation exercises may be more relevant for a sporting population who may be aiming to improve performance
Summary
There is growing evidence that physical activity (PA) is beneficial for the mental health of young people. One area that has been widely examined is the impact of PA on ‘the self’, which is a term that encompasses a range of specific and related terms (e.g. self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-perceptions). In addition to the physical benefits, there is growing evidence that PA is beneficial for the mental health of young people, including depression, anxiety and self-esteem [2], and in this respect, one area that has been widely examined is the impact of PA on ‘the self’ [3]. The term ‘the self’ is used in this paper to capture a range of specific terms that, while separate, are related (e.g. self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-perceptions) In this respect, PA researchers have typically defined ‘the self ’ as having a multi-dimensional and hierarchical structure. This involves more stable constructs (e.g. self-concept ‘a person’s perception of him or herself’ [4] and selfesteem ‘how an individual feels about their sense of self ’ [5]) at the apex of the structure which are influenced by less stable sub-domains (e.g. physical self-perceptions ‘a person’s perceptions of their physical self ’ [6]) and further sub-areas (e.g. perceived strength)
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