Physical self-concept, perceptions of health and life satisfaction in a sample of adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between physical self-concept, perceptions of health and life satisfaction in a sample of adolescents. Participants are 1648 adolescents from the city of Malaga (Spain) aged between 14 and 16 years. The measures used to assess the constructs are the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire (CAF; Goñi, Ruiz de Azúa & Rodríguez, 2006), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ; Goldberg, 1972, 1978) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener,  Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985). The correlation and linear regression analyses show relationships between the study variables, highlighting that the variables that have the strongest association with life satisfaction are the physical attractiveness dimension and perceptions of health, both in the total sample and by gender. In addition, a complementary measure of general self-concept, which includes the CAF, also has a marked relationship with life satisfaction, but this association is stronger for girls than boys.