Physical Activity Levels, Perceived Body Appearance, and Body Functioning in Relation to Perceived Wellbeing Among Adolescents

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate self-reported physical activity levels, perceived body appearance, and body functioning in relation to perceived wellbeing among adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was performed in four upper secondary schools in one municipality in southern Sweden. Data were obtained from questionnaires completed by 1,491 adolescents (55.4% females; median age 16; range 15–17 years) during school hours. The participation rate was 71.4%. Logistic regression analyses were carried out with wellbeing as the dependent variable. The independent variables included gender, perceived family financial situation, perceived body appearance, perceived body function, and physical activity level. Perceived positive wellbeing was associated with being satisfied with their body's appearance (OR 3.4; CI 2.6–4.4) and function (OR 3.1; CI 2.2–4.2), being physically active three or more times per week (OR 1.5; CI 1.1–2.0), and a good perceived family financial situation (OR 3.3; CI 1.6–6.7). Gender was not significantly associated with wellbeing. A positive body image, which include both body appearance and body function, and high physical activity levels were significantly associated with wellbeing in adolescents, corroborating the importance of promoting physical activity among younger populations.

Sports Practice, Body Image Perception, and Factors Involved in Sporting Activity in Italian Schoolchildren

“…The importance of the years of sports practice should also be emphasized, as early participation in sports practice is positively associated with self-esteem because it can promote physical competence and a favorable body image [1,26]. In pointing out that body image refers to a person's perceptions and feelings about his or her body and that body image dissatisfaction can be determined when there is a discrepancy between perceived and ideal body image [27,28], regular physical activity has generally been found to be associated with a favorable body image [29] and perceived positive well-being [9,30,31]. During the growth process, changes in body image perception are controlled by gender and are particularly associated with the timing of puberty [32].…”