Modifying the Pattern of Tendency to Health-related Behaviors in Adolescent Boys

Health promotion should be done in all age groups, because it can reduce the risk factors and prevent or treat the diseases [2, 8]. Sport activities in leisure time play an important role in improving health and fitness. The attempt to develop these activities are considered as a challenge at international level [9]. Low participation in physical activities can cause health-related problems including overweight among children and adolescents, which is a major concern [10]. Evidence indicates a decrease in regular physical activity in late adolescence, which is one of the public health problems in the world. Adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood and many life habits such as regular physical activity naturally start and continue in this period [11]. The use of behaviorist theories related to health-promoting issues such as physical activity is of particular importance. This study aims to evaluate the effect of an educational program regarding how to spend leisure time based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on male school students’ attitude towards physical activity and their intention to participate in sports activities.

In this quasi-experimental study, 40 male high school students (aged 13-17 years) were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (n=20) and control (n=20). To develop the educational package, all theories and studies related to teaching how to spend leisure time on physical and sports activities were first reviewed. Then, based on the literature and TPB, the items affecting the education in adolescents were collected. The opinions of some professors in sports management were used to evaluate the validity of items. To design the educational package, the results of educational programs used in the studies by Wang and Wang (2015), Tölkes and Butzmann  (2016), Reysen et al. (2018), and Ramchandani et al. (2017) were also considered. The intervention was provided at 10 sessions. Two 18-item questionnaires of TPB related to attitude towards physical activity and intention to participate in sports activities were used. To check the homogeneity of demographic characteristics between the two groups, chi-squared test and independent t-test were used. To examine the research hypotheses, analysis of covariance, independent t-test, and paired t-test were used. Before conducting the analysis of covariance, its assumptions were examined. 

Results :

The results of chi-squared test showed no significant difference between both the two groups in terms of educational grade and favorite sport (P>0.05). Based on the results of independent t-test, the homogeneity of the groups in terms of attitude and intention regarding physical activity was approved (P>0.05). The paired t-test showed no significant difference in the mean score of intention to participate in sports activities before and after the intervention in the control group (P=0.322), while there was a significant difference in the intervention group (P=0.001). Moreover, the results of independent t-test comparing post-test scores between the two groups showed that in the intervention group, due to teaching how to spend leisure time based on the TPB, the intention to participate in sports activities increased significantly (P<0.001). The value of Eta squared coefficient in analysis of covariance showed that the educational program explained 45.8% of changes in the intention to participate in sports activities (P=0.002). Therefore, it can be said that the educational program based on the TPB had a significant effect on the student’s intention. Regarding their attitude towards physical activity, the value of Eta squared coefficient showed that the educational program explained a 23.8 % of changes in attitude towards physical activity.

Discussion :

The present study showed that the educational program based on the TPB had a significant effect on high school students’ attitude towards physical activity and intention to participate in sports activities. One major barrier to have physical activities is the lack of knowledge of the benefits of these activities and sports [21]. people’s perceptions and attitudes towards the barriers and benefits of participating in sports activities are important factors that can affect their participation in a regular and health-oriented activities [20, 21]. Therefore, evaluation of students’ perceptions and attitudes towards physical activity have received great attention [13]. There is a gap between intention and participation in an activity. Factors such as knowledge, ability, access, cooperation and unpredicted conditions can fill this gap. However, behavioral intention can be the most important factor in one’s participation in a sports activity. A comprehensive educational program based on a TPB regarding how to spend leisure time on physical activities can increase the physical activities and, as a result, cause an active lifestyle in adolescents and improve their quality of life and health.