Are Activity Types Associated With Physical Activity Enjoyment and Participation?

Background/Purpose: Physical activity levels decrease during adolescence for both boys and girls. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans state that children and adolescents should participate in a variety of physical activities that are age appropriate and enjoyable. Enjoyment of physical activity and types of activity such as walking and team sports are associated with increased participation in physical activity. While studies have examined enjoyment, no studies have included enjoyment as a mediator between types of activity and physical activity among youth. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether types of activity directly affect enjoyment of physical activity, which in turn, affect participation in physical activity among high school students. 

Method: Data for this study came from 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (NYPANS). A three-stage cluster sample design was used to obtain a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 through 12. Using factor analysis, four types of activity were identified: team sports/weightlifting (e.g., football), aesthetic/creative (e.g., dance), individual (e.g., walking), and other competitive/recreational (e.g., tennis). The measure for enjoyment was created with 5 items (e.g., when I am physically active…I enjoy it; I find it fun). 

Analysis/Results: Path analysis was used to examine the direct associations of four types of activity on enjoyment and physical activity. The analysis also examined the extent to which enjoyment mediates the associations between the four types of activity and overall physical activity. Separate models were estimated for boys and girls. The findings for boys suggest that both team sports/weightlifting activities and aesthetic/creative activities are related positively to enjoyment and physical activity (β=.22 and .21, respectively, p=.001). For girls, only team sports/weightlifting activities is related positively to physical activity (β=.23, p=.001); however, team sports/weightlifting, aesthetic/creative, and individual activities were related positively to enjoyment (β=.15, .08, and .05, respectively, p=.001). In turn, enjoyment, for both boys and girls, is related positively to physical activity (β=.21 and .22, respectively, p=.001).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that types of activity and enjoyment are associated with increased physical activity, and that enjoyment serves as a mediator for some of these associations. Given the national guideline that young people be physically active for 60 minutes or more daily, this study highlights the need for physical activity programs to include a variety of activities that youth enjoy. Engaging children and adolescents in programs with these characteristics are keys to promoting physical activity.