Study of Psychosocial and Academic Indicators in Young Adults from Andalucía, Spain

Abstract

Background: The university years bring a great deal of vital changes. In addition, psycho-social factors play a key role in university students’ development and their consumption of harmful substances. The aim is to analyse academic performance according to psychosocial factors, self-concept, emotional intelligence and harmful substance consumption in a sample of future Physical Education teachers. Methods: The present study was carried out with a sample of 775 undergraduate students who were studying for the Primary Education Degree in Physical Education in Andalusia, Spain. The main instruments used include an ad hoc questionnaire, the Self-Concept Form-5 test, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence and the Emotional Intelligence Inventory adapted to Sport. Results: The results show that young people who have a greater general self-concept and self-emotional management are those who access the university degree through Vocational Training. In relation to the average record mark, it was observed that participants with marks of notable and outstanding obtained higher scores in general self-concept, academic dimension and hetero-emotional management. Those with grades of passed and outstanding were those with higher levels in the physical dimension of self-concept and emotional use. In relation to receiving a scholarship to study, it has been shown that those university students who do perceive it have higher levels in most of the dimensions of emotional intelligence and self-concept. Conclusions: Finally, the harmful substances did not show significant relationships with academic factors, except between tobacco and the average mark of the file.