Vos, J. (Julien) (2019) The association between physical fitness and psychosocial health in early adolescence. thesis, Human Movement Sciences.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Introduction A crucial period to be vulnerable for developing psychosocial health problems is after the onset of adolescence. Previous studies suggest that attaining or maintaining proper physical fitness might ‘protect’ adolescents for psychosocial health problems. Self-competence may play a mediating role this assumed association between physical fitness and psychosocial health. Aim To examine the association between physical fitness with psychosocial health symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescents. And secondly, to investigate whether specific subdomains of self-competence (physical appearance, athletic competence, social acceptance and perceived self-competence) mediate the association between physical fitness and psychosocial health. Method One hundred thirteen adolescents from 3 high schools spread across the northern provinces of the Netherlands were recruited to participate in the current study. The mean age of the sample was 13.5 years old (SD=0.44, 51.3% girls). Physical fitness was divided into the components: cardiovascular fitness (20m Shuttle Run Test, (20mSRT)), muscular fitness (standing broad jump and sit-ups), agility (Plate-tapping and 10*5m SRT). The Child Depression Inventory (CDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Index (STAI) were used to measure the psychosocial health. Results Higher scores on the several aspects of physical fitness – sit-ups and 10*5m SRT – significantly predicted a lower CDI score, so the participant was less likely to have symptoms of depression (R2 adjusted = 0.19, F(9,42) = 2.346, Cohen’s f2= 0.23, p = .03). Other aspects of fitness did not significantly predict symptoms of depression. No mediation effect of self-concept was observed in the association between sit-ups or 10*5mSRT and depressive symptoms. No significant regression model could be created with anxiety (state or trait) as the outcome variable (α = 0.05). Conclusion Aspects of muscular fitness and agility were observed as related to depression. Future research should consider the specificity of physical fitness in relation to psychosocial health in order to draw distinct conclusions.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Hartman, dr. E. |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 20 May 2022 11:29 |
| Last Modified: | 20 May 2022 11:29 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3386 |
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