Self-Perception Self-Esteem Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior of Primary Greek- School Students: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess the level of self-perception, selfesteem, physical activity and sedentary behavior of primary school children between 10 and 12 years old in the city of Komotini (Rodopi East Greece, North), to investigate the correlation between the above parameters and to detect possible differentiation on each factor with regard to the age and gender of the children. The sample of the survey consisted of 153 students from five public primary schools. The students were divided according to their gender (boy-girl) and class grade. Data were obtained from the Self-Perception Profile for Children and the "Self-administered physical activity interview checklist". The analysis showed that self-perception, self-esteem and physical activity was on a satisfactory-high level. In addition, the sedentary behavior of participants was high. Physical activity had a positive effect on the self-concept/self-esteem. Girls were found to have a higher level of self-perception than boys in the behavior conduct scale, while boys generally showed higher global selfworth compared to girls. Older students showed higher self-perception in scholastic and social competence, while they had a lower global self -worth. Moreover, it was noted that students whose parents had a high level of education had higher self-concept in scholastic competence.

The relationship between physical activity and prosocial behavior of college students: A mediating role of self-perception

“…Physical activity was confirmed to be a positive predictor of self-perception, such that higher levels of physical activity tend to lead to better self-perception, with a corresponding improvement in prosocial behavior, consistent with previous studies [11,34]. Previously, physical activity has been positively associated with the physical and mental health of college students, affirming the notion that engaging in regular physical activity is a healthful practice.…”

“…It has been suggested that increasing one's self-perception may lead one to reflect on their own values and ideals, and such reflections may promote prosocial behaviors [8]. Some studies have shown that highly active college students self-report having better views of themselves than students with a low level of physical activity [9][10][11][12]. Some studies have found that physical activity led adolescents to have a better self-concept, which improved their confidence in establishing good interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.…”

The efficacy of multimodal intervention program on mental health states

“…There is is a significant relationship between physical activity and self-esteem among participants [64]. Positive results were found on the effect of physical activity and self esteem [65], [66] among students who participated in the research.…”

Autoconcepto y Actividad física en escolares de 6º curso de Educación Primaria (Self-concept and Physical Activity in 6th grade Primary School Students)

“…En este sentido, los estudiantes que practican AF de manera regular muestran mejor autoconcepto que las personas que tienen un estilo de vida sedentario (Batsiou et al, 2020), por lo que se supone que, tanto el nivel de AF como el tipo de deporte practicado, pueden actuar como mediadores en el desarrollo del autoconcepto (Babic et al, 2014), estando especialmente relacionados con el autoconcepto físico (Duclos-Bastías et al, 2022). En línea con lo anterior, la práctica de AF regular puede favorecer la percepción que tiene un individuo sobre su aspecto físico al mismo tiempo que genera beneficios a nivel fisiológico, cognitivo y social, y, por tanto, mejora el autoconcepto general (Chacón-Cuberos et al, 2020).…”