Assesing well-being in children
Description
The dataset includes measures of psychological well-being, physical activity, sport participation, and body-related self-discrepancies among 312 children and adolescents aged 6–17 years recruited from public and private schools in Poland. Data were collected online during school hours using standardized self-report questionnaires administered under supervised classroom conditions. Participation was voluntary, anonymous, and approved by an institutional ethics committee. The study aimed to examine whether body-related self-discrepancies mediate the relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being in children and adolescents. Psychological well-being was conceptualized using the MREOS framework, including Mastery, Relationships, Engagement, Optimism, and Subjective Well-Being. The study was grounded in Higgins’ Self-Discrepancy Theory and developmental models of child well-being. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) greater physical activity would be associated with higher psychological well-being through lower body-related self-discrepancies, and (2) the mediating role of self-discrepancies would differ across dimensions of well-being. The dataset includes demographic variables, indicators of physical activity and sport participation, sedentary behaviors, sport injuries, pubertal status, and multidimensional measures of well-being. Body-related self-discrepancies were assessed using gender-specific silhouette scales representing real, ideal, and ought body image. The results showed that physical activity was associated with better psychological functioning, although the mechanisms varied across well-being dimensions. The most important finding was the significant mediating role of real–ought body discrepancy. More frequent physical activity was associated with lower discrepancy between the child’s actual body and the body they believed they “should” have, which in turn predicted higher overall well-being, optimism, and subjective well-being. Engagement and mastery were associated with physical activity mainly through direct effects rather than mediation processes, suggesting that sport participation may directly support competence, persistence, and active involvement. Relationship quality was not significantly associated with physical activity or self-discrepancies. The dataset may be used in developmental, health, and sport psychology research to examine links between physical activity, body image, self-perception, and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. The findings suggest that sport participation may support well-being primarily by reducing body-related normative pressure and strengthening perceptions of competence and adequacy. The data may also support mediation analyses, developmental comparisons, and prevention-oriented interventions targeting youth mental health and positive development, particularly in school and sport environments.
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Institutions
- WSB Merito University in WroclawLower Silesia, Wroclaw
- WSB Merito University in GdańskPomerania, Gdansk