The Relationship Between Real and Self-perception of Physical Fitness in Men 18-60 Years Old

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between real and self-perception of physical fitness in men 18-60 years old in Rasht. The method of this research is correlational, conducted in a survey and field study. 384 male of Rasht city population with mean age of 38.2 ± 11.8 years and a body mass index of 26.4 ± 4.0 kg/m2 were randomly selected by cluster sampling. In this research, information was analyzed on two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics. Fitness factors including weight, height, subcutaneous fat, cardio-respiratory endurance, handgrip strength, and trunk flexibility were measured using standard tests and methods. Self-perception of physical fitness was measured using modified Delignières et al questionnaire. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between variables. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0. The results of this study showed that there was a significantly positive correlation between real and self-perception of cardio-respiratory endurance (r=0.16, p =0.031), trunk flexibility (r=0.28, p=0.001), a significantly negative correlation for body composition (r=-0.43, p= 0.001), and no significant correlation for muscle strength (r=0.11, p = 0.38). In general, it seems that people can accurately self-perceive their physical fitness status when by taking into regular physical activity and see actual changes in their physical fitness status.