The Relationship between Physical Activity, Physical Self-Description, and Well-Being in College Students

Abstract

The study aimed to explore the relationship between physical activity (PA), physical self-description (PSD), and well-being among college students in the United States. A total of 228 participants (Mage=21.19, SD=2.09; female =74.12%) completed the validated online survey. The Pearson product-moment correlation analysis indicated that there were statistically significant positive correlation between PA and PSD (p<.01), PA and well-being (p<.05), and PSD and well-being (p<.01). The 2 × 2 factorial ANOVA showed that there was not interaction effect between PA and PSD on well-being, F(1, 224)=2.068, p=.152, η=.007, and univariate analysis indicated significant main effect of PSD on well-being, F(1, 224)=37.01, p<.001, η2=.131. However, no significant main effect was found in PA and well-being F(1, 224)=.007, p=.934, η2=.001. The findings highlighted that college students with a stronger perception of their physical selves have significantly higher well-being. The present study is both consistent and contradictory to previous research.