Correlates of self-perceived fitness

Percept Mot Skills. 1992 Jun;74(3 Pt 1):907-14. doi: 10.2466/pms.1992.74.3.907.

Abstract

This paper reports the associations between two global measures of self-perceived fitness and numerous objective fitness and fitness-related measures among 118 British men and women (mean age = 37.9 yr.). Self-perceived fitness, indicated on both a semantic scale of excellent through very poor (I) and an ordinal scale of 1 through 5 (II), was significantly correlated with most fitness and fitness-related variables. For self-perceived fitness I and II, respectively, these included physical work capacity (rho = 0.48 and 0.51), percent body fat (rho = -0.27 and -0.39), grip strength (rho = 0.30 and 0.35), very hard leisure-time physical activity (rho = 0.47 and 0.35), and frequency of sweating (rho = 0.54 and 0.45). Stepwise regression analyses yielded Rs of 0.70 and 0.64 for self-perceived fitness I and II, respectively. A significant correlate of self-perceived fitness was self-perceived health (rho = 0.47), suggesting that people may perceive fitness and health in the same manner. The present data suggest the considerable scope for examining further how people interpret the concept of fitness.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Physical Education and Training
  • Physical Endurance
  • Physical Fitness / psychology*
  • Self Concept*