The Relationship of Physical Ability to Self-Esteem in Mainland and Island Puerto Rican High School Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among physical fitness, self-perception of physical ability and global self-esteem in mainland and island Puerto Rican high school students. Permission to conduct this study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Rhode Island. Subjects were 132 high school students of Puerto Rican ancentry. Forty were from Central High School, Providence, R.I., and 92 high school students from Puerto Rico; 30 from Seso High School, Mayaguez and 62 from Boneville High School, Cupey Alto. Subjects were administered three paper and pencil tests: the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale, the Physical Estimation and Attraction Scale, and a study-developed self-report of physical activity AAPHERD Youth Fitness Test was administered as a measure of physical fitness. Hypotheses of this study: The relationship between estimation of one's physical ability and global self-esteem is significantly larger in mainland as compared to island high school students. The relationship between estimation of one's physical ability and actual physical fitness is significantly larger in mainland as compared to island high school students. Additional analysis were conducted to test the general validity of the Psychological model for Physical Activity Participation. Hypothesis 1 was not supported. The Z values for the coefficients obtained between estimation and self-esteem for mainland and island boys, and for mainland and island girls failed to achieve significant differences at the 0.05 level. Hypothesis 2 was also not supported. The Z values for the coefficients obtained between estimation and the physical fitness tests for mainland and island boys, and for mainland and island girls failed to achieve significant differences at the 0.05 level for 11 of 12 coefficients obtained. It was concluded that the relationship between physical fitness, estimation and global self-esteem is not necessarily larger in mainland as compared to island students. The results supported the Psychological Model for Physical Activity. It was concluded that the model is applicable to Puerto Rican high school students.