Parents’ and Children’s Physical Activity and Children’s Physical Self-Concept, Global Physical Self-Concept and Global Self-Esteem

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the connection of the physical self-concept, the global physical self-concept, and the global self–esteem with the children’s participation to physical activities whether they take place in the school curriculum or during the afternoon after the end of the school program. Three hundred and twenty children studying in the fifth (5th) and sixth (6th) grades of primary school as well as children of the first (1st) and second (2nd) grade of the secondary school took part in this research, coming from prefecture of Larissa, 50,6% of them were boys and 49,9% were girls. The multi-dimensional questionnaire of the Self-Concept at the Body Level and the Questionnaire of Leisure-Time Physical Activity were the main tools of the study. The results showed that the children’s choices that have to do with their free time are greatly influenced by their parents’ choices. As far as the physical activity we realized that the parents who engage themselves with physical activity affect positively their children to do the same. Moreover, the children who engage themselves in sports manage to have greater physical self-concept and global self-esteem. It was found out that children whose parents engage themselves in physical activity had a significantly higher efficiency in coordination, in the perception of their physical ability, in strength, in flexibility, in endurance and in their global self-esteem as a whole in comparison to those whose parents do not occupy with exercising. It seems that parents’ engagement with physical exercise has a positive effect on children. Finally, it was found a positive correlation between the physical activity and the things that constitute the mental health including the self-esteem and the sentimental well-being when parents take part in physical activity themselves.