Longitudinal Study on Correlations Between Body Image, Physical Activity, and the Subjective Well-Being Among Adolescents Aged 14–16

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between physical activity, body image, and subjective well-being among Swedish adolescents over time. Surveying 2308 students, with 137 providing longitudinal data, we conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis. No significant correlations were found between physical activity ( p = .268), body functioning ( p = .567), or body appearance ( p = .075) at age 14 and subjective well-being at age 16. Among control variables, sex ( p = .038) and subjective well-being at age 14 ( p = .013) showed significant correlations, while economic status did not ( p = .39). The correlation between a positive subjective well-being at age 14 and age 16 indicates the importance of impacting the sense of well-being early. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the potential long-term correlation between body image and adolescent subjective well-being.