Open AccessThe role of self-efficacy in undertaking health-seeking behaviours by physical education teachers
Author(s) -
Żaneta Szczepańska-Klunder,
Mariusz Lipowski
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
baltic journal of health and physical activity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2080-1297
pISSN - 2080-9999
DOI - 10.29359/bjhpa.07.2.04
Subject(s) - self efficacy , psychology , physical education , health promotion , context (archaeology) , personality , promotion (chess) , scale (ratio) , health education , cognition , clinical psychology , medicine , social psychology , public health , nursing , psychiatry , pedagogy , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , politics , political science , law , biology
Background: Self-efficacy, defined as a personal resource, is increasingly analysed in context of healthseeking behaviours. Therefore, it is important to explain to what extent these behaviours are associated with cognitive personality disposition of physical education teachers, manifested by their self-efficacy. Material/Methods: We examined 271 physical education teachers (n♀ = 137 and n♂ =134) aged between 23 and 62 years (M = 38.97, SD = 9.33). The respondents were surveyed with the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale by Schwarzer and Jerusalem in the Polish adaptation by Juczynski, Health Behaviour Inventory by Juczynski and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire by Cash. Results: Our findings point to a beneficial effect of self-efficacy on Proper Nutrition Habits, Prophylactic Behaviour, Positive Psychological Attitudes and Fitness/Health Orientation. Nevertheless, the use of Indicator Variables in Regression revealed that GSES exerts stronger effect on health-seeking behaviours in men than in women. Furthermore, we did not confirm a crucial role of self-efficacy in undertaking physical activity and Health Practices. Conclusions: Physical education teachers show moderate levels of health-seeking behaviours; this necessitates stimulating their active involvement in self-promotion of health. This can be achieved by health promotional and educational activities addressed to physical education teachers.