Socio-cultural Determinants of Students’ Participation in Sport; Implications for the Development of University Sport in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan

This research was carried out to explore the socio-cultural determinants of students’ sports participation at university level of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This cross-sectional survey research study was conducted on 264 students of both Public and Private sector universities through stratified random probability sampling. After exclusion of unusable questionnaires, 256 correctly filled questionnaires were used in the data analysis. A valid and reliable self-administered structured questionnaire encompassing all the aspects of the study was used for collecting required data. The questionnaire consisted of two parts; a) personal information b) questions about social-cultural determinants of students’ sport participation. A computer software of SPSS, version 24 was used to analyze the collected data. Results indicated a moderate negative correlation between socio-cultural determinants and students’ sports participation (P=0.03, r=-0.57). Also, the students’ sports participation was negatively predicted by socio-cultural determinants (p < .05). In addition, female student-athletes reported higher mean score compared with male student-athletes on socio-cultural determinants of students’ sports participation (p < .05). Given the negative relationship between socio-cultural determinants and students’ sports participation, it is necessary to create awareness among parents, teachers and eminent scholars regarding the benefits of sports participation. This can be done with the help of local seminars and public speaking in different parts of the province.