The moderating effect of gender on physical activity participation and physical fitness in children.

Background

The level, direction or presence of the relationship between perceived physical activity (PA) participation and physical fitness (PF) in children may differ by gender and this will assist in designing gender-specific interventions to promote PA participation, which in turn improves PF levels.

Aim

This study aimed to establish the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between perceived PA participation and PF.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted with a cohort of 870 primary school children aged 9-14 years old. Perceived PA participation was measured using the PAQ-C questionnaire while PF levels were measured using cardiorespiratory endurance (i.e. VO2 max).

Results

The results showed significant gender differences for perceived PA participation levels (

Conclusion

The moderating effect of gender on the relationship between perceived PA participation and PF highlights the differences in physiology as well as the societal PA associated roles played by boys and girls.

Contribution

The study has established that the relationship between perceived PA participation and PF is more pronounced among boys than girls.

Informations de copyright

© 2024. The Authors.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.