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activity is often presented as an effective tool to improve self-esteem
and/or to reduce anxiety. The aim of this study was to measure the
influence of a regular extra curricular sports practice on self-esteem
and anxiety. We conducted a prospective cohort study, which has included
all of the pupils entering the first year of secondary school (sixth
grade) in the Vosges Department (east France) during the school year
2001-2002 and followed during three years. Data were collected every
six months by self-reported questionnaires. 1791 pupils were present
at each of the six data collection sessions and completed all the
questionnaires, representing 10,746 documents: 835 boys (46.6 %) and
956 girls (53.4 %), in November 2001, the average age was 11.1 ± 0.5
years (mean ± standard deviation). 722 pupils (40.3 %) reported that
they had practiced an extra-school physical activity in a sporting
association from November 2001 to May 2004 (ECS group), whereas, 195
(10.9 %) pupils had not practiced any extra-school physical activity
at all (NECS group). The average global scores of self-esteem (Rosenberg's
Scale) and trait anxiety (Spielberger's Scale) of the ECS pupils were,
respectively, higher and lower than those of the NECS group. However,
the incidence density (number of new cases during a given period /
total person-time of observation) of moderate or severe decrease of
self-esteem (less than "mean - one standard deviation" or
less than "mean - two standard deviations") was not significantly
different between the two groups, a finding that was also evident
also in the case of trait anxiety. Finally, among ECS pupils, the
incidence density of severe decrease of self-esteem was lower at the
girls'. Practitioners and physical education teachers, as well as
parents, should be encouraged to seek out ways to involve pupils in
extra-school physical activities.
KEY
WORDS: Adolescents, self-esteem, trait anxiety, extra-curricular
sport practice.
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