More on the Dimensionality of the GHQ-12: Competitive Confirmatory Models

International Comparison of Self-Concept, Self-Perception and Lifestyle in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Objectives: Adolescence is considered a vital time to address healthy attitudes and values towards an effective transition to adulthood. The aim of this review was to analyse self-concept, self-perception, physical exercise, and lifestyle in the late adolescent population.

Methods: Systematic review of studies assessing the results by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the General Health Questionnaire, the Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents, and the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children questionnaires in late adolescents. The PRISMA recommendations were followed. The CASPe quality-check system was applied, excluding articles with a score <8.

Results: 1589 studies were found, and 69 articles were selected. Adolescents with high self-concept and self-perception tend to be emotionally stable, sociable, and responsible. No significant differences were found regarding self-concept and self-perception between different countries, but there were differences between men and women. Physical activity and healthy diet improve self-concept and perception of body image.

Conclusion: Self-concept and self-perception are associated with responsibility, stability, and mental strength. Most healthy behaviours during adolescence are followed during adulthood. Socio-cultural level of Health Science students is a differential factor for overweight and obesity.

Questionnaires Assessing Adolescents' Self-Concept, Self-Perception, Physical Activity and Lifestyle: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Adolescence is considered a fundamental time to promote change. During this time, young people consolidate their social and individual identity. By influencing positive changes, chronic diseases can be avoided, delayed or modified in the future. The use of valid and reliable questionnaires is an optimal resource for gathering information and thus useful for this study. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to: (1). identify the questionnaires that assess self-esteem/self-concept, self-perception, physical exercise and lifestyle of adolescents; (2). analyse the psychometric measures of the questionnaires used to assess the self-esteem/self-concept, self-perception, physical exercise and lifestyle of adolescents; and (3). determine which questionnaires are the most reliable and valid for assessing the self-esteem/self-concept, self-perception, physical exercise and lifestyle of adolescents. Method: A bibliographic search was carried out in the following databases: Virtual Health Library, Cochrane, Medline, Cuiden, Scielo, Dialnet, PubMed and Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare following the PICO method. The recommendations of the PRISMA statement were followed. Results: A total of 71 scientific articles were collected. Within the self-perception/self-concept questionnaires, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale stands out for being an optimal and widely used resource in adolescents. Regarding the questionnaires that evaluate self-perception, the General Health Questionnaire is the most used; it is used in numerous national health surveys in different countries. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents ranks first with respect to the rest of the tools. It is a widely used resource internationally and provides enough information on the physical activity carried out by the subject in a given week. Although there are several questionnaires that measure lifestyle, the Health Behavior in School-aged Children instrument was selected. This instrument is at the European level and involves the collaboration of 48 countries and allows us to compare the lifestyle habits of adolescents from different countries. Discussion: The questionnaire that stands out in the assessment of self-esteem/self-concept is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The General Health Questionnaire has been selected as the best tool for assessing self-perception. To measure physical exercise, the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents is identified as the ideal instrument because it is widely used and can be completed quickly. Regarding lifestyle, the Health Behavior in School aged Children is shown to be an effective instrument in assessing lifestyle.

The Shirom-Melamed Vigor Measure for Students: Factorial Analysis and Construct Validity in Spanish Undergraduate University Students

Students suffer from a decrease in physical activity during their education period. This lower level of activity could affect, through various paths, their academic performance, mental health, and satisfaction with life. In these two studies, we assumed that vigor, a positive affect variable, would act as a mediating variable in the above relationship, and thus, we proposed an instrument for evaluating vigor in academic contexts. In Study 1, 707 undergraduates (59.7% women) responded to the vigor scale adapted for students to test factorial validation (through confirmatory factor analysis) and obtain reliability indicators. In Study 2, 309 undergraduates (55.3% women) completed a questionnaire measuring physical activity, mental health, satisfaction with life, vigor, and academic performance to test a structural model of the relationships between the variables to obtain construct validity. A measurement model with three related factors, each representing one dimension of vigor, optimally fit the data, and the reliability indices were adequate (Study 1). Moreover, the mediational model confirmed a complete influence of physical activity on satisfaction with life, academic performance, and mental health levels through students’ vigor levels with optimal adjusting values (Study 2). Proposing an instrument such as the Shirom-Melamed Vigor Measure for students allows the opening of a research venue that is focused on the study of positive affects in academic contexts, as well as the testing of the physical activity pathways of action in obtaining positive results.