Assessment of Sports Participation Behaviour and the Constraints Encountered by College Adolescents in India

Abstract

Background:To establish a vibrant sports culture amongst college adolescents demographically, an understanding of the sports participation behavior along with the detailed examination of the various determinants that might affect the level of sports participation is imperative. As with the lack of literature previously, the study was undertaken to investigate in detail about the sports participation behavior and its various determinants encountered by the college students in India which could eventually lead to an understanding of what needs to be done at the amateur level to elevate the sport's awareness and participation.Methods: A survey with the help of a questionnaire was conducted on the under-graduates as well as post-graduates' students from different universities of the country. The questions were divided into 3 segments, namely-demographic questions, sports participation related questions, and questions pertaining to the constraints faced by the students. Results:It showed that 88% of the male's sample and 59% of the female's sample were engaged in playing sports. The other important finding of the study was the various constraints perceived by the sample while participating in sports. "Lack of sporting culture", "I lack the skill to participate", "Lack of time due to other activities" were the most prevailing constraints faced by the students. Conclusion:The prevalence of various such constraints and a low level of participation in sports amongst college adolescents in India, especially the females, presents a gloomy picture which needs to be addressed with a specific course of action targeted at different segments of the college-going community in India, to foster a better sporting culture.