December 2024
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Különleges Bánásmód - Interdiszciplináris folyóirat
Over the past decade and a half, the number of studies exploring the characteristics of physical activity has increased significantly. Many scientific papers have already highlighted the positive effects of regular physical activity. In our research, we conducted an age and gender representative study of secondary school students in Hajdúböszörmény, taking into account external and internal factors influencing physical activity. We used a questionnaire survey (N=302). The questions examined, in addition to sociodemographic data, the components of physical activity, its external and internal motivational background. We used a statistical analysis program (SPSS Statistics 25.0) to organise the questionnaire data and performed the appropriate statistical tests. External factors influencing physical activity (effects of educational institutions, parental pattern, friendship pattern, income, housing, amount of leisure time) were interpreted in relation to gender and age groups within the age group, using a self-made questionnaire. The PALMS (Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale) questionnaire was used to map intrinsic motivational factors (physical fitness, physical appearance, psychological well-being, personal development, social relationships, expectations of others, enjoyment, competition with others) affecting secondary school students. In our research, we looked for correlations between different motivational factors and an individual's physical activity. Identifying the extrinsic motives for physical activity is desirable to increase the effectiveness of preventive physical activity programmes. The results suggest that the effects of time spent in educational institutions (primary and secondary school) have only a small influence on the physical activity of the population studied, which may be a warning sign for professionals working in the field of physical education. The characteristics of the study sample are in line with the results of national surveys (physical activity levels, gender differences). In terms of motivational factors, it can be concluded that improving health (especially physical health) is a priority, which is particularly important as the past years have had a negative impact on the physical activity of the population of Hajdúböszörmény. The rejection of external factors is a general phenomenon, which can also be explained by the age characteristics of the persons surveyed, and may be related to a high degree of autonomy.