The Importance of Healthy Habits to Compensate for Differences between Adolescent Males and Females in Anthropometric, Psychological and Physical Fitness Variables
Date
2022Discipline/s
Actividad Física y DeporteSubject/s
Life satisfactionPhysical activity
Basic psychological needs
Mediterranean diet
Body composition
Adolescents
Physical fitness
Gender differences
Abstract
Adolescence is a crucial stage in human development, and differences in psychological, physical and body composition variables between males and females have been amply demonstrated. However, the role played by certain healthy habits, such as the practice of physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (AMD) or the maintenance of an adequate weight status, in compensating for the differences found between males and females in these variables, is not well known. For this reason, the study aimed to analyze whether the practice of physical activity, optimal AMD, and adequate weight status can compensate for the differences between adolescent males and females in anthropometric variables, psychological state, and physical fitness. The sample was composed of 791 adolescents (404 males and 387 females) aged twelve to sixteen years old, whose anthropometric, psychological (autonomy, competence, relatedness, and life satisfaction), and physical fitness variables (cardiorespiratory fi...