Relationship between selected body composition components and self-efficacy among 12-14-year-old rural adolescents in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage of growing and development. This stage is characterised by physiological and psychological changes, such as changes in body composition and self-efficacy. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between certain body composition components and self-efficacy among 12- to 14-year-old rural boys (n=49) and girls (n=43). The anthropometrical measurements included body mass, body stature, three skinfold sites, waist and hip circumferences and were used to determine Body Mass Index (BMI), fat percentages and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) was used to measure general self-efficacy. Descriptive statistics and the Pearson product-moment practical correlation for analysis of data was performed. Only girls presented significantly high practical correlations between BMI and emotional self-efficacy (r=0.33, p=0.02), total self-efficacy and WHR (r=0.44, p=0.00), social self-efficacy and WHR (r=0.39, p=0.01), and emotional self-efficacy and WHR (r=0.33, p=0.02). The boys presented significant and positive practical correlations between social self-efficacy and body mass (r=0.31, p=0.02) and body stature (r=0.39, p=0.00). The findings seem to suggest that the practical correlations between body composition and self-efficacy could be specific to certain cultures and specific countries. Keywords: Self-efficacy; Body composition; Rural children; Body Mass Index; Fat percentage; Waist-to-hip ratio.