Adolescents preferences of individual areas of sport activities

Abstract

The aim of the thesis was to point out differences in physical activity interest among high school students in terms of different age. 1064 students aged 16 – 18 were involved in the study. Physical activity interest was determined by a physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES) questionnaire in which respondents mentioned biggest interest, second and third biggest interest choosing from 10 different areas of sports activities. The interest in sports activities at individual levels is expressed in percentage terms and differences between students of different ages are assessed by chi-square test at 5% level of statistical significance and the significance of effect size was judged by Cramer’s phi φc. All of the age – categories showed the biggest inetrest in collective sports, such as football, volleyball, basketball, and more. from 20 to 27%, but with an increasing age the interest rate declining. The second biggest interest was in strengthening, aerobics, spinning from 17 to 20% and the third greatest interest was other physical activities such as rafting, cycling, floorball, etc. from 17 to 22%. The percentage differences were most pronounced when assessing the biggest interest, but at all levels it was not statistically significant p > 0,5, and also the intrinsic significance was low φc < 0,1. The results highlighted the differences in movement activity among students of different ages and can contribute to better management of school and extra-curricular activities and help to increase the joy of physical activity in adolescents. The paper is part of grant MŠ SR KEGA 003UKF-4/2016.