Physical Activity, Physical Fitness and the Sense of Coherence—Their Role in Body Acceptance among Polish Adolescents

Ida Laudańska-Krzemińska, Jana Krzysztoszek, Mariusz Naczk and Ewa Gajewska
Additional contact information
Ida Laudańska-Krzemińska: Department of Physical Activity and Health Promotion Science, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871 Poznan, Poland
Jana Krzysztoszek: Department of Didactics of Physical Activity, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871 Poznan, Poland
Mariusz Naczk: Institute of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Gora, 65-417 Zielona Gora, Poland
Ewa Gajewska: Department of Developmental Neurology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-355 Poznan, Poland

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the protective role of physical activity (PA) and other health-related bio-psycho components (physical fitness, body composition, body perception and the sense of coherence (SOC)) in body acceptance. We searched for gender differences in those relationships. We investigated 231 adolescents aged 13–16 years from an urban area in Poland. We conducted objective measurements of height, weight, fat% and relative value of minute oxygen consumption. Questionnaires for PA, SOC Body Figure Perception and body acceptance were applied. Linear regression was used for analyzing determinants of body acceptance. We found that more physically active girls reported a less slim ideal vision of their figure ( p < 0.05). Physical fitness is a better predictor of body acceptance than physical activity. In the final model, the sense of coherence, body mass index (BMI), and gender (being a boy) were also predictors of body acceptance (F(6,92) = 13.084, p < 0.0001). Gender differences were discussed in the present study. Fitness enhancing physical activity should be recommended for adolescents to achieve the protective psychosocial effect especially among girls. Physical activity on a daily basis brings positive results in a more adequate and reasonable body assessment and it can play a protective role in terms of mental wellbeing. Body satisfaction varies between genders and it is a more sensitive issue among girls than boys during adolescence.

Keywords: body image; sense of coherence; physical activity; cardiorespiratory fitness; adolescents; body perception; body satisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/16/5791/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/16/5791/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:16:p:5791-:d:397072

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().