Maturational timing, physical self-perceptions and physical activity in UK adolescent females: investigation of a mediated effects model

Abstract

Background

Advanced (early) biological maturation may be a risk factor for inactivity among adolescent girls.

Aim

To test the mediational effects of body attractiveness and physical self-worth on the relationship between biological maturity and accelerometer assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in a large multi-ethnic sample of girls from the Midlands area in the UK (11–14 years).

Subjects and methods

Biological maturity (predicting age at peak height velocity (APHV)); self-perceptions of body attractiveness, physical self-worth, and minutes spent in MVPA were assessed in 1062 females aged 11–14 years.

Results

Structural equation modelling using maximum likelihood estimation and boot- strapping procedures supported the hypothesised model. Later maturation predicted higher perceptions of body attractiveness (β = 0.25, p < .001) which, in turn, predicted higher perceptions of physical self-worth (β = 0.91, p < .001) and, significantly higher MVPA (β = 0.22, p < .001). Examination of the bootstrap-generated bias-corrected confidence intervals suggested that perceptions of body attractiveness and physical self-worth partially mediated a positive association between predicted APHV and MVPA (β = 0.05, p < .001).

Conclusions

Greater biological maturity (i.e. early maturity) in adolescent girls is associated with less involvement in MVPA and appears to be partly explained by lower perceptions of body attractiveness and physical self-worth. Physical activity interventions should consider girls' perceptions of their pubertal related physiological changes during adolescence, particularly among early maturing girls.

Keywords:

• Adolescence
• exercise
• self-worth
• body attractiveness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study which this analysis is based on was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Public Health Research Programme [13/90/30] Professors Davies and Khunti are NIHR Senior Investigators. University of Leicester authors are supported by the NIHR Leicester-Loughborough Biomedical Research Unit (2012–2017), the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (2017–2022) and the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East Midlands. The Girls Active study was undertaken in collaboration with the Leicester Clinical Trials Unit a UKCRC-registered clinical trials unit in receipt of NIHR CTU support funding and the Youth Sport Trust. The aforementioned funders had no involvement in the TSC, the data analysis, data interpretation, data collection, or writing of this manuscript. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.