Physical self-concept, gender and health care in Mexican university students

Abstract

This research, through structural equation models, analyze the direct and indirect effects of gender and health care on physical self-concept. The total sample was of 938 Mexican university students, with an average age of 20.46 years (SD = 1.83). The proposed model obtains a satisfactory fit. Being significant the majority of the hypothesized relationships. Gender and healthy habits are the variables with greater explanatory power over motor competence and physical attractiveness. It also emphasizes the mediator capacity of stress between unhealthy habits and physical self-concept. Future research should replicate these findings in larger samples.