Tělesná Kultura (Jun 2015)
Physical activity and sports preferences of adolescents in the environmental context: A regional comparative study
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Humans are exposed to various environments in their daily life, and the characteristics of these environments have the potential to facilitate physical activity (PA). Associations between the neighborhood environment and PA may be influenced by individual characteristics, and it is possible that the influence of neighborhood characteristics on PA differs among various subgroups of the population. The majority of the previous evidence of environmental correlates of PA has often been based on self-reported, or perceived, neighborhood environment and/or on self-reported PA. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the research was to identify sports preferences in the students of two selected secondary schools and also their involvement in physical activity (PA). The main objective was followed by the comparison of the two environmentally different areas in relation to PA. METHODS: The research was conducted in 2 secondary schools - Gymnázium Vrchlabí (representing small town in the mountain region) and SOŠOS Štursova Olomouc (representing big town in flat region) in the Czech Republic. The research included 238 students from both schools. Two online questionnaires were employed - IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and Sport Preferences Survey, both available within the INDARES system, which is educational and research database. RESULTS: The level of total PA in the students from Gymnázium Vrchlabí amounts to 6641 MET-min/week. In the students from SOŠOS Štursova the level is 8351 MET-min/week. There are significant differences in the level of PA in the "Leisure-time PA" (H = 11.729; p = .001; η2 = .099). Students from the smaller/hilly area (Vrchlabí) reached 1287 MET-min/week while students from the bigger/flat area (Olomouc) reached only 609 MET-min/week. Another significant results were acquired in the category of "School PA" (H = 5.672; p = .017; η2 = .48). The biggest differences were found in the group of "Outdoor sport activities", which associates with the study design and it also describes the contrast of both surveyed locations (big vs. small town; flat vs. hilly area). CONCLUSIONS: The students from Vrchlabí show a significantly higher level of leisure-time physical activity as opposed to the students from Olomouc, who report a significantly higher level of school-based physical activity.
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