Children’s physical activity levels and attitudes towards physical activity. Eur Phys Educ Rev

This study investigated the relationship between attitude towards physical activity and physical activity behaviour and the influence of gender and season on physical activity level in 45 primary school children, aged 9 to 11 years. Attitudes towards physical activity were assessed using two different theoretical approaches: the children’s attitudes towards physical activity (CATPA) inventory and the theory of reasoned action (TRA) questionnaire. Physical activity behaviour was measured using Cale’s (1994) self-report measure of physical activity. Approximately 50 % of the children were categorised as ’inactive ’ based on cut-off points developed by Blair (1984). A 2 x 2 (gender x season) factorial analysis of variance showed that children partici-pated in more moderate physical activity in the summer than in the winter (F(1,44) = 6.29, p<.05) but there were no gender differences in physical activity levels. Descriptive statistics for the CATPA inventory showed that children generally exhibited positive attitudes towards physical activity. Mann-Whitney U tests for two independent samples revealed significant differences between the high-active and low-active children for the catharsis, health and fitness, vertigo and aesthetic subdomains from the CATPA inventory (p<.05). None of the TRA variables showed any significant differences for activity level. Present results suggest that some attitude variables from the CATPA inventory differ according to children’s physical activity levels and thereby emphasise the need for physical educators to foster positive attitudes towards physical activity in order to encourage children to adopt and maintain healthy and active lifestyles. European Physical Education Review Volume 3 No. 2 (1997), pp.144-16