Effects of a competitive endurance training program on self-concept and peer approval

Can exercise improve self esteem in children and young people? A systematic review of randomised controlled trials

A systematic review to determine if exercise alone or as part of a comprehensive intervention can improve self esteem in children and young people is described. Twenty three randomised controlled trials were analysed. A synthesis of several small, low quality trials indicates that exercise may have short term beneficial effects on self esteem in children and adolescents. However, high quality research on defined populations with adequate follow up is needed.

The role of exercise and gender for physical self-perceptions and importance ratings in Swedish university students

The purpose of this study was to investigate how scores on the Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP), including scores on the Perceived Importance Profile (PIP), were related to self-reported exercise frequency, duration, and gender in sample of Swedish university students. A total of 164 participants completed the PSPP, PIP, and a questionnaire focusing on frequency and duration of exercise. Exercise frequency, duration, and gender predicted best the PSPP sub-domains of Sport Competence and Physical Conditioning. Exercising more frequently, and for a longer time on each occasion was associated with higher PSPP and PIP scores. Women generally displayed lower PSPP scores than men. These results suggest that exercise professionals need to master a range of appropriate exercise strategies, since doubts concerning self-presentation may work against establishing a regular exercise routine.

Exercise to improve self-esteem in children and young people

BACKGROUND

Psychological and behavioural problems in children and adolescents are common, and improving self-esteem may help to prevent the development of such problems. There is strong evidence for the positive physical health outcomes of exercise, but the evidence of exercise on mental health is scarce.

OBJECTIVES

To determine if exercise alone or exercise as part of a comprehensive intervention can improve self-esteem among children and young people.

SEARCH STRATEGY

Computerised searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CENTRAL), CINAHL, PsycINFO and ERIC were undertaken and reference lists from relevant articles were scanned. Relevant studies were also traced by contacting authors. Dates of most recent searches: May 2003 in (CENTRAL), all others: January 2002.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials where the study population consisted of children and young people aged from 3 to 20 years, in which one intervention arm was gross motor activity for more than four weeks and the outcome measure was self-esteem.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two reviewers independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed the validity of included trials and extracted data. Investigators were contacted to collect missing data or for clarification when necessary.

MAIN RESULTS

Twenty-three trials with a total of 1821 children and young people were included. Generally, the trials were small, and only one was assessed to have a low risk of bias. Thirteen trials compared exercise alone with no intervention. Eight were included in the meta-analysis, and overall the results were heteregeneous. One study with a low risk of bias showed a standardised mean difference (SMD) of 1.33 (95% CI 0.43 to 2.23), while the SMD's for the three studies with a moderate risk of bias and the four studies with a high risk of bias was 0.21 (95% CI -0.17 to 0.59) and 0.57 (95% CI 0.11 to 1.04), respectively. Twelve trials compared exercise as part of a comprehensive programme with no intervention. Only four provided data sufficient to calculate overall effects, and the results indicate a moderate short-term difference in self-esteem in favour of the intervention [SMD 0.51 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.88)].

REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that exercise has positive short-term effects on self-esteem in children and young people. Since there are no known negative effects of exercise and many positive effects on physical health, exercise may be an important measure in improving children's self-esteem. These conclusions are based on several small low-quality trials.

Type A behavior and exercise: a follow-up study of coronary patients

Several previous studies have reported decreased Type A behavior pattern (TABP) after initiation of an exercise program. To determine if changes in TABP could be linked to exercise patterns in a cardiac rehabilitation program, both physical activity and TABP were measured in 81 male cardiac patients over a period of one year after hospitalization for an initial cardiac event. Changes in TABP scores were not associated with differences in activity patterns as measured by kilocalories per week of exercise, self-ratings of both job and leisure-time physical activity levels, or participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program. However, in Type A subjects there was a discrepancy between simple self-ratings of activity and more objective measures of exercise: subjects who had high TABP scores perceived themselves to be significantly more physically active than did subjects with lower TABP scores, even though the more objective estimates of physical activity were not associated with TABP scores.

Construction and validation of a perceived physical fitness scale

Numerous researchers have demonstrated that improvements in physical conditioning can influence one's psychological functioning. Heaps proposed in 1978 that physical improvement does not improve psychological functioning. Heaps contended that only when an individual is cognitively aware of the physical improvement can one expect psychological functioning to be enhanced through physical activity. The purpose of this study was to construct a valid and reliable instrument to assess an individual's perception of his physical fitness.

Relating trait anxiety to perceived physical fitness

This study was designed to determine the relation of actual cardiovascular physical fitness and perceived physical fitness to trait anxiety. 32 older adult (M age = 68.19 yr.) subjects completed a voluntary maximal graded exercise stress test on a motor driven treadmill to determine their actual cardiovascular physical fitness. Subjects also completed Abadie's Perceived Physical Fitness Scale along with Spielberger's Trait Anxiety Inventory. The partial correlation between actual cardiovascular physical fitness and trait anxiety with the influence of perceived physical fitness removed indicated a nonsignificant relation. The partial correlation between perceived physical fitness and trait anxiety with the influence of actual cardiovascular physical fitness removed indicated a significant inverse relation. Present results suggest that trait anxiety is correlated better with an individual's self-perception of his physical fitness than the actual cardiovascular physical fitness.

Effects of the Capon Perceptual-Motor Program on Motor Ability, Self-Concept, and Academic Readiness

The present study determined the benefits of participating in the Capon Perceptual-motor Program. 85 kindergarten children were tested on perceptual-motor abilities, self-concept, and academic readiness. Children were assigned to a group who completed the Capon program or one who spent the same amount of time in free-play. Following completion of the perceptual-motor program, children were retested on the same items. Each dependent variable was analyzed in a 2 × 2 (groups × tests) analysis of variance. Results indicated significant improvement in the motor ability tests but no differences in self-concept and academic readiness from both programs.

Psychological effects of habitual aerobic exercise: a critical review

Controlled experiments of the effects of habitual aerobic exercise on mood, personality, and cognition are reviewed. The results indicate that exercise improves self-concept. They provide little evidence for claims that exercise improved anxiety, depression, body image, personality, or cognition. Several processes have been hypothesized to mediate the psychological benefits of exercise but none has been adequately tested. Future research should examine the individuals and the disorders that are most likely to experience psychological benefits from exercise, the types of exercise that are most beneficial, and the proposed mechanisms for the psychological benefits.

Psychological and physiological effects of physical conditioning on the elderly

A decline in cardiovascular functioning is generally thought to occur with advancing age. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of regular aerobic exercise on a group of 24 young-old (65-69) and old-old (70-85 yr) volunteers. Comprehensive physiological and psychological assessments were conducted in the one week preceding the 11-week conditioning program, and in the one-week period following the conclusion of the program. The conditioning program consisted of 30 min of continuous exercise on a stationary bicycle ergometer three times weekly for 11 consecutive weeks. The results of the study document the presence of significant training effects: subjects achieved longer exercise times and increased exercise workloads. Despite these changes, however, psychological changes were generally small and nonsignificant. The present data would appear to qualify the assumption that exercise is beneficial for the elderly.

The impact of chronic pain on the self-concept

Compared self-concepts of three groups, medical patients, chronic low back pain patients and chronic head pain patients (N = 60) to determine (1) whether chronic pain patients have self-perceptions that differ from other medical patients; (2) whether changes in self-perception are limited to physical attributes and capacities; and finally (3) whether persons who suffer different types of chronic pain would have differing self-concepts. Significantly lower self-concepts were obtained from groups of head pain and low back pain patients. Self-concept patterns for the two pain groups were quite similar with the exception of two self-concept components that were significantly lower for the head pain group. Differences were explained in terms of loss of many normal functions and disruption of normal life-styles. Implications for treatment of pain patients and for training of health professionals were discussed.