Role of Satisfaction with Life, Sex and Body Mass Index in Physical Literacy of Spanish Children

Abstract

Physical activity is essential to achieve good health, prevent cardiovascular diseases and obesity and overweight, as well as to achieve a better quality of life. Therefore, physical literacy (PL) could become the tool to increase the practice of physical activity among young people, thus increasing life satisfaction (LS) given its positive relationship with physical activity. A single-measure cross-sectional correlational study was carried out, involving 135 children aged 8–12 years from Extremadura. They were administered the SWLS questionnaire and the Canadian physical literacy battery (CAPL-2). Significantly higher levels of PL (p = 0.010) were found in normal-weight children compared to overweight and obese children, due to the physical competence domain score (p < 0.001). PL was directly related to SWLS (p < 0.001), but inversely related to sex (p = 0.018). The daily physical activity behaviour domain was significantly related to SWLS (p < 0.001). Finally, the motivation and confidence domain were only significantly associated with sex (p < 0.001). It was concluded that boys and girls of normal weight achieved higher levels of PL and LS than those with overweight and obesity, establishing a negative relationship between PL and BMI and a positive relationship between PL and LS.