Promotion of physical sports adherence among adolescents through physical education classes: analysis of psychosocial variables

Abstract

The generation of physical-sports habits that last throughout life is one of the main challenges that physical education teachers experience during their classes; thus, it is important to know what factors affect the generation of these habits. Therefore, the objectives of this research are: (1) to analyse which aspects of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) exhibit a higher level of correlation with the intention of students to be physically active once they finish their academic training and (2) to determine whether the environment of physical-sports practice by students (fathers, mothers, siblings, and friends) as well as other related factors affect this intention. Thus, a sample of 230 middle and high school students with an average age of 15.79 (SD = 1.05) years old was analysed using a questionnaire with previously validated scales as the measurement instrument. The results indicate that all TPB variables are correlated in a positive and significant way (p< 0.05) with the intention of being physically active; athletic identity exhibits greater correlation (r = 0.79) followed by the control of perceived behaviour (r = 0.40); siblings are the most influential element of the students' environment, and both their activity and that of parents and their equals cause the existence of significant differences in some variables related to the continuity of sport. Finally, a number of practical implications are proposed for physical education teachers, which provide relevant information for the education and sport field.