Abstract

Background: Today's adolescents are not attaining recommended duration of physical activity (PA), which can impact their physical and mental health. Sport participation may be an avenue to increase PA as well as improve positive perceptions of exercise and distress tolerance during PA. We investigated whether sport participation among adolescents influences their overall PA levels as well as PA covariates. We also evaluated the impact of the number of sports an individual participates in on their positive perceptions of PA. Methods: PA data was recorded using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) and a waist-worn accelerometer. Participants also completed the Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS), Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS), Discomfort Intolerance Scale (DIS), and Feelings and Attitudes about Leisure Activities Questionnaire (FALTAQ). Participants completed demographic questionnaires during an office visit and also completed a walking task on a treadmill during this visit. Participants were placed in the sport group if they reported playing any sport within the past year. Results: While adolescents in the sport group engaged in 42 more minutes of PA per week than the non-sport group, this difference was not statistically significant (F (1, 89) = 0.815, p = 0.369; partial η2 = 0.009). There were no statistically significant differences in non-sport PA, zBMI, or self-reported discomfort tolerance between the two groups. However, the sport group showed higher WBIS scores (F (1, 89) = 12.314, p < 0.001; partial η2 = 0.122) and higher EBBS scores (F (1, 89) = 23.728, p < 0.001; partial η2 = 0.21) than the non-sport group. Within the sport group, regression analyses revealed there were no statistically significant predictions for number of sports played and our PA outcomes. Conclusion: While participating in sports led to more PA than not participating, this was not a statistically significant increase. Sport group participants self-reported higher PA levels, more favorable self-image, and more positive perceptions of PA. Specializing in one sport or varying the number of sports did not show any statistically significant differences. While this study is novel in evaluating sport participation and PA, it is limited to a cross-sectional design. Perhaps encouraging PA engagement can include activities beyond sport. Future studies can conduct experimental research with these factors, or evaluate other ways sport participation can benefit adolescents' health.

Degree

PhD

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2024-10-01

Document Type

Dissertation

Keywords

physical activity, sport, exercise, distress tolerance, adolescence

Language

english

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