Composition Factor Analysis and Factor Invariance of the Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale (PASTAS) in Sports and Non-Sports Practitioner Mexican Adolescents

Impact of social media usage on academic performance of university students: Mediating role of mental health under a cross-sectional study in Bangladesh

Background and Aim

Social media is undeniably more accessible and more appreciated today. It is undoubtedly one of the most crucial instruments for student communication. Mental health status can also meaningfully influence the students at the higher levels of the educational institutions. This study aims to evaluate the social media usage of university students and its impact on academic performance and mental health.

Methods

To examine under confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) several scale measurements were confirmed by justifying the validity and reliability of several necessary indices and structural equation model. The mediation analysis was also estimated to evaluate the students' Social media addiction (employed Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale) under maximum likelihood estimation with 2000 bootstrapping and 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals.

Results

This study shows that the usage of social media significantly improves academic performance on psychological well-being, with a Comparative Fit Index of 0.921 and an RMSEA of 0.06 indicating a good fit of the CFA model. Finally, we exhibit a strong statistically significant positive impact of social media usage on academic success, and as supporting the hypothesis, the study observed a positive mediating role of mental health between social media addiction and academic performance.

Conclusion

The present research investigations produced unique results, that is, online social media enhances mental health and mediates the link between social media addiction and academic performance in Bangladeshi students. This finding also add to the empirical database on social media usage and have significant theoretical and practical ramifications.

Relationship between Anthropometric Measures and Anxiety Perception in Soccer Players

In the sports context, it has been corroborated that the physical demands of presenting an “ideal” body configuration have been associated with different psychological variables, such as self-esteem, anxiety and personality dimensions, such as perfectionism. Specifically, there is evidence that anthropometric measures may be closely related to psychological indicators. A total of 33 male soccer players (18.12 ± 1.24 years) participated in the investigation. Anthropometric assessments were carried out following the ISAK standards for the restricted profile. All of them completed the Competitive Trait Anxiety Inventory (CTAI-2D) in its Spanish version. The percent fat was calculated using Withers (density) and Siri equations. The ∑7 skinfolds were used to calculate this. After statistical analysis, significant mean differences were observed in the somatic anxiety dimension (valence) and a medium–large effect size. Regarding correlations, the significantly negative relationship between self-confidence (intentionality) and somatic anxiety (valence) was noteworthy. The relationship between psychological variables and anthropometric measurements was corroborated, showing the need for interdisciplinary work between psychologists and nutritionists who do not ignore the physical health and psychological well-being of the soccer player.

Validation of a Computerized Version of the Trait Subscale of the Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale in Mexican Preadolescents

Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread or restlessness and can develop into a weight-related disorder. The objective was to analyze the psychometric properties of the trait anxiety subscale of the Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale (PASTAS), as well as the invariance in Mexican preadolescents. The sample consisted of 604 participants, 285 female and 319 male, whose ages ranged between 11 and 12 years (M = 11.37; SD = 0.48). The questionnaire’s factor structure was analyzed using confirmatory factor analyses. The analyses show the viability and adequacy of a two-factor structure (weight and non-weight factors) both for the total sample and for the populations of male and female. The two-factor structure showed adequate reliability and validity fit indicators. The factor structure, the factor loadings and intercepts are considered invariant according to the variable sex; however, differences between female and male participants were found for levels of anxiety caused by physical appearance. In conclusion, the PASTAS can be considered a convenient instrument to assess the variables related to anxiety generated by one’s physical appearance, as well as allowing more participants to be quickly assessed.