The evaluation of quality of life may enable researchers to produce information that may improve health care and the quality of older people’s lives. This research has two main goals: the first is to assess the psychometric properties of the SF-36 Health Questionnaire (construct validity and internal consistency), and the second, to calculate the factorial invariance of the questionnaire in two random, independent samples (i.e., cross-validation). The total sample consisted of 970 elderly subjects from the cities of Chihuahua and Monterrey, Mexico, with an average age of 71.18 (SD = 7.69). The factor structure of the SF-36 was analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The analyses show an adequate four-factor structure. The four-factor structure (Physical Function, Body Pain, Physical Role and Psychological Health) shows adequate reliability and validity indices. In addition, the results from the CFA analyses for the subsamples provide strong evidence of the stability of the four-factor structure. Future research should consider replicating the present findings in larger samples.

El bienestar psicológico, la imagen corporal y la actividad física son tres constructos de gran importancia, debido al efecto en diferentes ámbitos de la vida de los estudiantes universitarios. Por lo que, el objetivo principal del presente estudio fue examinar el efecto de la práctica regular de actividad física y la imagen corporal sobre la percepción de bienestar psicológico en estudiantes universitarios mexicanos mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales. Un total de 900 estudiantes universitarios mexicanos (509 mujeres y 391 hombres) de 18 a 26 años cumplimentaron el Cuestionario Internacional de Actividad Física y las versiones reducidas de los cuestionarios Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire y Bienestar Psicológico de Ryff. Los resultados del modelo de ecuaciones estructurales mostraron que el género y la práctica de actividad física, a través de la importancia subjetiva de la forma y la apariencia física, tiene un efecto indirecto positivo sobre la percepción de bienestar psicológico en la dimensión de autoaceptación y ésta, a su vez, ejerce un efecto directo positivo sobre el crecimiento personal. El modelo propuesto obtiene un ajuste satisfactorio, explicando el 48% de la varianza en la percepción de bienestar psicológico en la dimensión de crecimiento personal (variable criterio), lo que parecen revelar la importancia del conjunto de variables en la predicción/explicación del bienestar psicológico de los universitarios y, por consiguiente, la necesidad de incluir su optimización y desarrollo en los currículos escolares. Palabras clave: Hábitos de actividad física, imagen corporal, autoaceptación, crecimiento personal, SEM. Psychological well-being, body image and physical activity are three constructs of great importance, because of the effect on different areas of university students’ life. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to examine the effect of regular practice of physical activity and body image on the perception of psychological well-being in Mexican university students through a structural equation model. A total of 900 Mexican university students (509 women and 391 men) between the ages of 18 and 26 completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the reduced versions of the Ryff Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire and Psychological Well-being questionnaires. The results of the structural equation model showed that gender and the practice of physical activity, through the subjective importance of physical form and appearance, have a positive indirect effect on the perception of psychological well-being in the self-acceptance dimension and this in turn has a direct positive effect on personal growth. The proposed model obtains a satisfactory fit, explaining 48% of the variance in the perception of psychological well-being in the personal growth dimension (criterion variable), which seems to reveal the importance of the set of variables in the prediction/explanation of psychological well-being of university students and, consequently, the need to include their optimization and development in school curricula. Keywords: Physical activity habits, body image, self-acceptance, personal growth, SEM.

Mental health is currently highly relevant in society and one of the factors that could contribute to its improvement is psychological well-being, hence the importance of conducting studies that focus on analyzing variables that predict psychological well-being. Therefore, the goal of this research is to use models of structural equations to analyze the relationships among the variables of sex and resilience for psychological well-being. The total sample was 1190 Mexican university students, with an average age of 20.66 years (SD = 1.89). The results indicate that the resilience factors (strength and confidence, family support, and social support) are the variables with the greatest explanatory power on psychological well-being. It also highlights the mediating capacity of the strength and confidence factor between the other two resilience factors (family support, social support) and perceived psychological well-being. The implications of the study are that sex and two of the dimensions of resilience (family support and social support) show an indirect and positive effect on the perception of psychological well-being through the strength and confidence factor. Therefore, when implementing interventions to improve psychological well-being, these factors should be considered in order to have a greater positive impact on the population that is being studied. Future research should replicate these findings in larger samples.

Anxiety about aging is an important mediating factor in attitudes and behavior toward elderly individuals as well as a mediating factor in the adjustment to one’s own aging processes. The aim of this study was to analyze the factor structure, internal consistency and factorial invariance by sex of the Lasher and Faulkender Anxiety about Aging Scale. The sample consisted of 601 Mexican older adults, 394 women and 207 men, with a mean age of 70.69 ± 8.10 years. The factor structure of the questionnaire was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. Analyses show that a four-factor structure is feasible and adequate. The four-factor structure (fear of the elderly, psychological concerns, physical appearance and fear of loss), according to statistical and substantive criteria, showed adequate reliability and validity indicators. However, the obtained model does not fully coincide with that proposed by the questionnaire authors, although it continues to support the multi-factor component of anxiety about aging. On the other hand, the factor structure, the factor loadings and the intercepts are considered invariant in the two populations (men and women); however, there are differences between populations on the means of the physical appearance and fear of loss factors.

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.

En este estudio se comparan los perfiles de estilos atributivos en el área de logros académicos en universitarios mexicanos. La muestra total fue de 1285 participantes; 660 mujeres y 625 hombres, con una edad media de 20.51 y 20.83 años respectivamente. La investigación fue de enfoque cuantitativa, descriptiva, tipo encuesta. Los participantes contestaron la versión informatizada del Cuestionario de Estilos Atributivos en el área de logros académicos adaptado previamente por los autores el año 2016. Los análisis de varianza multivariante y univariados, muestran que las mujeres en comparación con los hombres reportan mayores niveles de control interno en las dimensiones atribución a la suerte, atribución a la habilidad, atribución al profesor y sin diferencias en atribución al esfuerzo. Se concluye que dichas diferencias sugieren que al diseñar cualquier intervención para promover el cambio en los estudiantes hacia un estilo de control más interno habrá que tomar en cuenta al género.