Gender differences in enjoyment for types of physical activity in children

Mini-Oral Presentation C1.6

Authors

  • Kathryn Burford University of Texas at Austin
  • Yuzi Zhang University of Texas at Austin
  • John Bartholomew University of Texas at Austin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i3.742

Keywords:

Children, Physical Activity, Enjoyment, Competence, Gender

Abstract

Background: Children’s enjoyment and competence of physical activity is directly associated with their physical activity participation. However, there is little evidence exploring gender differences in enjoyment and competence for types of physical activity in children. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore children’s enjoyment and competence for physical activity types (high intensity, low intensity, and strength) by gender during Physical Education (PE). Methods: All students performed 11 types of physical activities during their PE warm-up. Children’s enjoyment and competence for each activity were assessed with two items on a 5-point Likert scale (5 = “I enjoyed it a lot,” 5 = “I did really well). Enjoyment and competence scores were generated for each activity type (high, low, strength). A 4 (grade) by 2 (gender) MANCOVA on enjoyment and competence was performed for type of activity. Results: Participants were 402, 2nd-5th grade, children from one diverse elementary school (49.4% female, 59.6% white) in central Texas. Girls reported that they enjoyed low intensity activity (M=4.6, SD =0.6; d=0.3) significantly more than boys (M=4.4, SD =0.7). Boys enjoyed high intensity (M=4.17, SD =0.7; d=0.3) and strength (M=3.96, SD =1.01; d=0.30) activities significantly more than girls (M=3.95, SD =0.75; M=3.67, SD =1.11). There were no significant differences across gender for competence with activity types. Conclusions: Girls reported greater enjoyment of lower intensity activities while boys reported greater enjoyment of high intensity and strength activities. As girls’ enjoyment of PE is lower than for boys, these data highlight the need to consider gender preferences for types of activities (high, low, strength) when designing interventions and PE curriculums for children. Funding: No funding to declare

Published

2021-09-30

How to Cite

Burford, K., Zhang, Y., & Bartholomew, J. (2021). Gender differences in enjoyment for types of physical activity in children: Mini-Oral Presentation C1.6. The Health & Fitness Journal of Canada, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i3.742