The objective of this research study was to explore the relationship between students perceptions of their physical education (PE) classes and their level of leisure-time physical activity (PA). Three psychosocial constructs (enjoyment, self-efficacy, and social support) were examined in the context of physical education. Past research indicates that these constructs influence participation in leisure-time PA. This study attempted to characterize the influence that PE has on leisure-time PA. This study had two objectives. The first was to understand the relationship between PE and leisure-time PA. Secondly, the relationships among enjoyment, self-efficacy, and social support were examined in order to explore enjoyment as a mediator between both self-efficacy and enjoyment and social support and enjoyment, in the context of PE and leisure-time physical activity. Males and females between 13 and 18 years of age (n = 663) were surveyed in their PE classes by trained volunteers. Enjoyment, self-efficacy and social support were examined using a questionnaire that was developed for this study. Physical activity was assessed using a summer-time PA inventory, from which median minutes per day of PA were calculated for each participant. The results of independent samples t-tests indicate that males reported significantly higher scores on the enjoyment assessment than females, and a significantly higher number of median minutes per day of PA compared to females. Among white students, self-efficacy scores were significantly higher than within the minority sub-group. Results also indicate that 12th graders reported higher scores on the social support assessment than did all remaining grade-levels. Weak to moderate correlations were found among the psychosocial constructs. Results of the regression analyses show that none of the possible covariates were significant predictors of participation in leisure-time PA. Enjoyment was not a mediator between self-efficacy and total PA, and social support and total PA. The sub-group that reported the highest enjoyment scores also reported the most minutes of total PA (males). However, the exact relationship between PE and participation in leisure-time PA is still unclear. Complex factors contribute to peoples adoption and long term maintenance of PA. Enjoyment, social support, and self-efficacy do not exist independent from one another. Rather, they seem to influence each other. The exact nature of this influence is not fully understood. Future research is still necessary to better understand the complex relationships that were examined.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-05042006-102843 |
| Date | 11 May 2006 |
| Creators | Satchidanand, Nikhil |
| Contributors | Jere. D. Gallagher, Scott Beach, Deborah J. Aaron |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-05042006-102843/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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