Physical Self-Concept, Gender, and Physical Condition of Bizkaia University Students

Abstract

(1) Background: Despite the benefits of physical activity being well documented in university students, some do not follow the international recommendations. This period of life is a vital stage in adhering to healthy habits in adult life. The objective of the study was to analyze university students’ scores of their physical self-concept and its relationship with gender, physical condition, and level of self-perceived competence. (2) Methods: The sample comprised of 1289 Bizkaia University students (42.12% men and 57.87% women), between 18 and 46.5 years old (M = 20.4; SD = 2.2 years). Physical self-concept, physical condition, number of hours per week of physical activity, and perceived fitness level were analyzed. (3) Results: We found significant differences between women and men in their physical self-concept, but it seemed to be mainly an indirect effect through the mediation of hours of exercise and physical condition. (4) Conclusions: To understand the variance of the level of physical self-concept between genders in university students, the effect of certain variables (physical condition, number of hours per week, and perceived fitness level) must be considered, as well as the mediating role of some of these variables.

Perceptions and Key Attributes of Exercise Among Korean Men and Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Study Using Big Data Analysis

“…Weight and muscularity are crucial factors in men's body image; however, body dissatisfaction, particularly regarding weight and shape, is common among women in all societies [56][57][58]. Our results support previous studies which indicated that physical attractiveness affects women more than men [59][60][61][62]. Recent Japanese studies (which has similar socio-cultural characteristics to Korea), in contrast to previous studies, also found women were more physically active than men [63].…”

Autoconcepto físico en estudiantes universitarios: Generación de perfiles por clasificación jerárquica sobre componentes principales (Physical self-concept in university students: Generating profiles with hierarchical classification on principal components)

“…Aunque autores como Álvarez et al (2015) evidenciaron diferencias en aquellos practicantes y no practicantes de actividad física en una muestra universitarios de 18 a 31 años en dos de las dimensiones, habilidad física o CD y CF. Adicionalmente, suficiente literatura indica la relación bidireccional, directa y positiva entre la práctica de actividad física y el autoconcepto físico (Fernández-Bustos et al, 2019;Infante et al, 2012;Sáez et al, 2020). Además, se ha confirmado la influencia de la actividad física no solo en el autoconcepto físico, sino en la autoestima y el rendimiento académico (Vallejo & Alguacil, 2022).…”

Motivational Climate Effect on the Development of Anxiety and Body Image in Education Students: A Structural Equation Model

“…It is observed that males show higher scores for physical self-concept. Based on these results, it is established that women abandon physical sports practice early, which has a negative impact on their body image [34,35]. Likewise, young adolescents who have practised sports at an early age develop a more favourable physical capacity and feelings about their own body image [36].…”