European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 4, 38-53 (2011) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2011.003

PHYSICAL SELF-CONCEPT AND SELF-ESTEEM IN ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT PHYSICAL DISABILITY: THE ROLE OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION

Stefano Scarpa
Department of Educational Sciences, University of Padua, Italy

The present study aims to investigate the role of physical activity and sports participation on physical self-concept and self-esteem in adolescents and young adults with and without physical disability. The participants were 1149 individuals aged between 13 and 28 (578 boys and 571 girls). They were divided into four groups: (A) without disability who practised sport (n = 742), (B) without disability who did not practise sport (n = 264), (C) physical disabled who practised sport (n = 109), (D) physical disabled who did not practise sport (n = 34). The participants completed the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ; Marsh, Richards, Johnson, Roche, & Tremayne, 1994) in a cross-sectional design. The results highlighted that individuals with physical disability who practised sport obtained similar results to the people without disability who practised sport in a ten of the eleven PSDQ scales. Finally it seems possible to assert that persons with physical disability who practise sport present a positive physical self-concept and good self-esteem.

Keywords: Physical Self-Concept, Physical Disability, Sport, Adolescence

Published: March 31, 2011  Show citation

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Scarpa, S. (2011). PHYSICAL SELF-CONCEPT AND SELF-ESTEEM IN ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT PHYSICAL DISABILITY: THE ROLE OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, 4(1), 38-53. doi: 10.5507/euj.2011.003
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