Indirect Effect Of Physical Activity Research Articles

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Physical Self-Esteem in Adolescents: The Role of Physical Fitness Indices

The aim of this study was to investigate if physical fitness (strength/power, endurance, flexibility and coordination) mediates the cross-sectional relationship between physical activity and physical self-perception (athletic competence and physical appearance) in a sample of 15-year old adolescents. We wanted to investigate the relative strength of each indirect effect. The present data are taken from two waves of a larger data collection for the project "Youth in Balance", and was collected in the autumn of 2005 (N = 1207) and 2008 (N = 632). A total of 1839 students (889 girls and 950 boys) from 12 schools in Kristiansand took part. A bias-corrected bootstrapping technique was used to examine indirect effects. Results revealed that cardiovascular endurance, lower-body strength/power, and upper-body strength stood out as unique mediators in the relationship between physical activity and athletic competence in both genders. Furthermore, there was an indirect effect of physical activity on physical appearance through physical strength/power and flexibility in males. No indirect effects of physical activity on physical appearance through actual physical fitness indices were detected in females.

Physical self-esteem in older adults: A test of the indirect effect of physical activity.

The Exercise and Self-Esteem Model (EXSEM) is used to help explain the relationships among physical activity, self-perceptions, and self-esteem. However, the current conceptual framework employed relies on an overly narrow range of physical subdomains to explain variation in physical self-worth and self-esteem in older adults. The objective of the present study was to examine an expanded conceptual framework of the EXSEM in a sample of men and women over 60 years of age. Older adults (N 222; age, M 72.9 years) completed questionnaires which assessed global self-esteem, physical self-worth, subdomain level physical self-perceptions, self-efficacy for physical activity, physical activity, and demographic characteristics. A path analysis utilizing maximum likelihood estimation was conducted. The path analysis provided preliminary support for the expanded conceptual framework and use of the Physical Self-Descriptive Questionnaire (PDSQ) in older adults. In conclusion, the EXSEM employing an expanded conceptual framework may be appropriate for understanding the structure of physical self-perceptions in older adults.

The role of gender in the relationship between physical activity, appearance evaluation and psychological distress.

Based on previous research, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the indirect effect of physical activity on psychological distress through appearance evaluation. The indirect effect was hypothesized to be conditional on gender, with the effect being more profound among females than among males. A total of 2055 adolescents (Mage =15.3) completed a self-report questionnaire. Physical activity was indirectly related to psychological distress through appearance evaluation in both males and females, but the indirect effect was stronger for females than for males. Physical activity may prevent distress through enhanced appearance evaluation.

Multidimensional hierarchical model of self-esteem and physical activity

It is suggested that using a multidimensional and hierarchical model as the theoretical framework could contribute to research on exercise. It is necessary to examine the multidimensionality and the hierarchical structuring of self-esteem using instruments with established reliability and validity. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the validity of Fox and Corbin's (1989) three-tier hierarchical model. The second purpose was to examine the direct and indirect effects of physical activity. Male (n = 296) and female (n =195) university student participants completed the Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) and Physical Self-Perception Profile-Japanese Version (PSPP-J). The main results were as follows: (1) Confirmatory factor analysis revealed validity of using RSE and PSPP-J to examine Fox & Corbin's (1989) model. (2) Structural equation modeling supported the theoretical structuring of Fox and Corbin's model (GFI = .90, AGFI = .89, and RMSEA =.04). (3) The results of correlation and partial correlation analysis indicated that physical activity was indirectly related to self-esteem and physical self-worth.

Physical Activity, Self-Efficacy, and Self-Esteem: Longitudinal Relationships in Older Adults

We examined the structure of the expanded version of the Exercise and Self-Esteem Model in a sample of older adults (N = 174; age, M = 66.7 years) across a 4-year period. A panel analysis revealed support for the indirect effects of physical activity (PA) and self-efficacy (SE) on physical self-worth and global esteem through subdomain levels of esteem. These relationships were consistent across the 4-year period. Over time, older adults reporting greater reductions in SE and PA also reported greater reductions in subdomain esteem. This is one of the first studies to examine these relationships longitudinally in the PA domain and offers further support for the hierarchical and multidimensional nature of self-esteem at the physical level. We recommend further testing of the Exercise and Self-Esteem Model, with special attention being paid to assessing multiple aspects of PA and SE.