UBC Intramurals: Identifying and Assessing Barriers Limiting Female Participation Rates

Authors

  • May Yong-Jun Guan University of British Columbia
  • Grace Huang University of British Columbia
  • Jessica Anh Pham University of British Columbia
  • Jennifer Rosabel Lim University of British Columbia
  • Jennifer Cen-Jun Wong University of British Columbia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i1.299

Keywords:

post-secondary students, females, athletics, recreation, recreational leagues, hindrance to participation, online survey, psychosocial, physical factors, environmental factors

Abstract

Background: At the University of British Columbia (UBC), there is a decreasing rate of female participation in Intramurals sports. Purpose: To identify key barriers influencing the decline in women’s participation in UBC Intramurals and develop recommendations for UBC Athletics and Recreation to reduce barriers and facilitate female Intramural participation. Methods: A 23-question online survey was created with Qualtrics to collect responses from female UBC students regarding their perceived barriers to participation and feedback for UBC Intramurals. Participants were recruited through survey links posted on Facebook. Qualtrics and Microsoft Excel were used to conduct descriptive and content analyses, respectively. Results: Common barriers identified by female UBC students included self-esteem and the convenience and accessibility of UBC Intramurals. Three main themes for improvement were identified for UBC Athletics and Recreation and included better access to information regarding UBC Intramurals leagues, consistent league schedules and game times, and the creation of additional leagues, such as gender-specific and just for fun leagues. Conclusion: Five recommendations were made for UBC Athletics and Recreation to implement into their current Intramurals program: improve the awareness and access to information regarding UBC Intramurals leagues, create a female hat league to allow small group sign-up, implement consistent schedules for intramurals leagues and games, increase the types of sports and tiers offered within the program, and to use a mixed-methods study on a larger sample size in future research for this topic.

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Published

2021-04-07

How to Cite

Guan, M. Y.-J., Huang, G., Pham, J. A., Lim, J. R., & Wong, J. C.-J. (2021). UBC Intramurals: Identifying and Assessing Barriers Limiting Female Participation Rates. The Health & Fitness Journal of Canada, 14(1), 61–82. https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i1.299

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STUDENTS' CORNER