Prospective Relations Between Self-Concept and Adolescent Physical Education Participation: A Sex Stratified Analysis

Sustained participation in physical education classes during adolescence can help promote lifelong engagement in physical activity, which is vital for the physical and mental health of adolescents. Self-concept, particularly in the domains of global and physical appearance self-perceptions, has been identified as a key predictor of physical activity behavior. However, there is limited understanding of how these facets influence continued enrollment in physical education classes, especially across different sexes.

We used survey data from two cohorts that completed surveys in two consecutive school years (2016-17 and 2017-18; 2017-18 and 2018-19) to examine sex-based differences in the association between global self-concept, physical appearance self-perceptions, and sustained enrollment in physical education classes during the transition from Grade 9 to Grade 10. The total sample included 7884 Canadian adolescents (m_age = 14.4, SD = 0.5 years; 52.2% female). Using multiple logistic generalized estimating equation models, the analysis adjusted for school province, racial identity, and socioeconomic status to estimate the effects of self-concept on physical education enrollment.

Global self-concept and physical appearance self-perceptions declined from Grade 9 to 10 across both sexes, particularly among students who unenrolled from physical education after Grade 9. Interestingly, statistically significant odds ratios were observed for male adolescents but not for females. Higher global self-concept levels in Grade 9 corresponded with increased odds of physical education enrollment in Grade 10 for male students. Similarly, males with more positive physical appearance self-perceptions in Grade 9 predicted continued enrollment in physical education into grade 10, compared to males with lower physical appearance self-perceptions.

During this critical transitional phase, global self-concept and positive physical appearance self-perceptions among males were prospectively linked to sustained participation in physical education classes into the subsequent year of high school, when physical education becomes an optional subject for most students. Such findings highlight the pivotal role of self-concept in sustained physical activity and offer crucial insights for interventions aimed at enhancing physical education participation and fostering a lifelong engagement in physical activity.