The mediating role of physical self-concept on relations between biological maturity status and physical activity in adolescent females Sean P. Cumming a, * , Martyn Standage a , Tom Loney a , Catherine Gammon a , Helen Neville a , Lauren B. Sherar b , Robert M. Malina c, d a School for Health, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK b College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, S7N 5B2 c University of Texas at Austin, TX, 78712 USA d Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX, 76401-4168 USA Keywords: Growth Maturity Girls Puberty Physical activity abstract The current study examined the mediating role of physical self-concept on relations between biological maturity status and self-reported physical activity in adolescent British females. Biological maturity status, physical self-concept and physical activity were assessed in 407 female British year 7–9 pupils (M age ¼ 13.2 years, SD ¼ 1.0). Participants completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (Kowalski, Crocker, & Donen, 2004) and the Children and Youth Physical Self-Perceptions Profile (Whitehead, 1995). Percentage of predicted adult height attained at measurement was used as an estimate of biological maturity status. Structural equation modelling using maximum likelihood estimation and bootstrapping procedures revealed that perceptions of sports competence, body attractiveness and physical self-worth mediated an inverse relation between maturity status and physical activity. The results provide partial support for Petersen and Taylor’s (1980) Mediated Effects Model of Psychological and Behavioural Adaptation to Puberty within the context of physical activity. Crown Copyright Ó 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. The physical and psychological health benefits associated with regular involvement in moderate-to-vigorous bouts of physical activity are well documented. Indeed, individuals who are regularly active demonstrate improved functional capacity and are at a reduced risk for several degenerative diseases and psychological disorders, including coronary heart disease, hypertension, type II diabetes depression, and anxiety (Department of Health Physical Activity Health Improvement and Prevention, 2004). To accrue and optimize these benefits, however, regular involvement in physical activity should be encouraged from an early age. This withstanding, evidence gained over the past 40 years suggests that youth have become increasingly less active in many different contexts, including active transport (e.g., walking or cycling to school), physical education, and leisure-time exercise activities (Malina & Katzmarzyk, 2006). In attempts to understand and promote physical activity in youth, researchers and practitioners have focussed predomi- nantly on psychosocial and environmental factors such as motivation, social support, socio-economic status, and the built environment. Although there is little doubt that such factors contribute to individual differences in physical activity; a true explanation of children’s involvement in physical activity resides in the independent and interactive effects of various biological, psychosocial and environmental factors. This philosophy, termed ‘a biocultural perspective’ (Malina, 2008), extends beyond the * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ44 01225 386251; fax: þ44 01225 383275. E-mail address: S.Cumming@bath.ac.uk (S.P. Cumming). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Adolescence journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jado 0140-1971/$ – see front matter Crown Copyright Ó 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2010.06.006 Journal of Adolescence 34 (2011) 465–473