A Study of Gender Differences on Patterns of Sport Activities

The present study has been conducted to discover associations between gender and patterns of sports activities among 303 university students in Mazandaran University. Respondents were selected randomly and completed a self-administered questionnaire. The findings of the study indicated that 67 percent of students participated in sport activities, but in general male students were more active than female students. Favourite sports for the male students were walking, football, swimming, light exercise, and body building; while female students were more concerned to do such activities as light exercises, swimming, and volleyball, respectively. The most important reasons to participate in sports activities declared by male students were maintenance and enhancement of health status, acquisition of joy and fun, and to be fresh and active; while female students do the activities for reducing weight, fitness, and maintenance of health status. Finally, there have been positive associations between probability of sports participation and some psycho-social variables including social support, and health concern.