An Exploratory Model of Psychosocial Factors and Healthy Habits in University Students of Physical Education Depending on Gender

Ramón Chacón-Cuberos, Félix Zurita-Ortega, Eva María Olmedo-Moreno, Rosario Padial-Ruz and Manuel Castro-Sánchez
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Ramón Chacón-Cuberos: Department of Integrated Didactics, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
Félix Zurita-Ortega: Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Corporal Expression, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Eva María Olmedo-Moreno: Department of Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Rosario Padial-Ruz: Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Corporal Expression, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Manuel Castro-Sánchez: Department of Education. University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: (1) Background: Several researches have shown the relationship between healthy habits and physical and mental health. Thus, it is essential to study how some psychosocial factors can promote positive behaviours in university students, specifically in those who will be teachers of Physical Education. (2) Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional research was conducted on 775 university students of Physical Education from Spain. This study aims to develop an explanatory model for the relationships between motivational climate, healthy habits (Mediterranean Diet (MD), Physical Activity (PA) and substance consumption) and some indicators of physical health (oxygen consumption (VO 2MAX )) and mental health (self-concept) according to gender, using structural equations analysis. (3) Results: The motivational climate was positively associated with PA, showing a stronger relationship for ego-oriented climate in women. The adherence to MD showed a positive association with PA and self-concept, while it is negative for the consumption of tobacco in men. Likewise, PA was directly related to VO 2MAX with a higher regression weight for women. The ego-oriented motivational climate was negatively related to tobacco consumption in women. (4) Conclusions: Task-oriented goals are related to more positive and healthy behaviours such as PA, although it was no association was found with MD. Therefore, we can conclude the importance of promoting task-oriented goals in educational contexts linked to Physical Education in order to avoid negative behaviours.

Keywords: motivational climate; Mediterranean diet; physical activity; substance abuse; maximum oxygen consumption; self-concept (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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