A cross-cultural analysis of children's attitudes toward physical activity and patterns of participation

• Main Author: Liu, Zhan
• Other Authors: Ball State University. School of Physical Education.
• Format: Others
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Children > Attitudes > Cross-cultural studies.; Sports for children.
• Online Access: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/183909; http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/722188

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes toward physical activity and patterns of involvement among Chinese and American children. Participants were children in grades 3 and 8 in Central China (n=170) and in the Midwestern United States (n=100). Data were obtained by administering a revised inventory for children's attitudes toward physical activity (CATPA), a new CATPA inventory appropriate for grade 3, and a physical activity questionnaire. Separate 2 (Country) X 2 (Gender) X 2 (Age) MANOVAS, follow-up ANOVAs and descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data. Unlike previous findings, this study indicated that Chinese participants have more positive attitudes toward physical activity while American participants reported more involvement in physical activity. Age and gender differences in attitudes toward physical activity were also found with younger children and girls expressing more positive attitudes. Marked gender and nationality differences in both participation patterns andphysical activity preferences were also evident. The results of the present study supported previous findings that attitude is a function of age and gender. === School of Physical Education