[The relationship between self-concept and a healthy lifestyle in adolescence: an exploratory model].
A gender-based model has been designed to study the relationships that exist among self-concept dimensions and some health-promoting behaviours (consumption of healthy food and participation in sports) and health-risk behaviours (consumption of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and unhealthy food). The model was employed on a representative sample of 1,038 adolescents from the Valencian Community, aged between 15 and 18 years old (528 girls and 510 boys, M age= 16.3; SD= .92). Path analysis with the Lisrel VIII program maximum likelihood method was used. The results show the model's good fit to the data with regard to both the boys (chi 2 /gl= 2.57; RMSR= .04; RMSEA= 0.5; GFI= .98; NNFI= .91; CFI= .97; CN= 350.10) and the girls (chi 2 /gl= 3.28; RMSR= .04; RMSEA= 0.6; GFI= .98; NNFI= .87; CFI= .95; CN= 284.42). For the two sexes, behavioural conduct, social acceptance and close friendship emerged as good predictors of health-risk behaviours. Athletic competence had an indirect influence on health behaviours, with participation in sports being a mediating variable in that relationship.
Pastor
Yolanda
Y
Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche, Spain. ypastor@umh.es
Balaguer
Isabel
I
García-Merita
Marisa
M
D000293:Adolescent; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008019:Life Style; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data