Physical Fitness Level and Its Relationship with Self-Concept in School Children

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between general self-concept and health-related physical fitness in primary school children. Design: Cross-sectional design and descriptive court. Method: A total of 216 schoolchildren (9.26 ± 1.26 years) participated in the measurement of the speed-agility, muscle strength and aerobic capacity as physical fitness components. Six dimensions of self-concept (intellectual, behavioral, physical, lack of anxiety, social and life satisfaction) were assessed by the Self-Concept Scale Piers-Harris. Results: No significant differences were found among the self-concept dimensions between men and women. Males showed higher scores on the test of 4 × 10 m (p < 0.05), manual dynamometry (p < 0.005) and Course-Navette (p < 0.005). An increased fitness level was positively and significantly related with higher values of overall self-concept (p < 0.005) in both genres. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that those students with a higher overall fitness level show higher levels of general self-concept. More investigation is needed to know which physical fitness parameters are more related with the self-concept.