Age as a determining variable in the practice or abandonment of physical exercise among young people

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 16; no. 6; p. e0253750
• Main Authors: Portela-Pino, Iago, Valverde-Esteve, Teresa, Martínez-Patiño, María José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 24.06.2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescents; Age; Biology and Life Sciences; Body image; Child development; Children; Chronology; Demographic aspects; Education; Empowerment; Exercise; Health aspects; Hypotheses; Medicine and Health Sciences; Motivation; People and Places; Physical exercise; Physical fitness; Physical training; Prevention; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Schools; Self image; Social interactions; Social Sciences; Students; Sustainable development; Teenagers; Values; Young adults; Youth; Spain
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253750

Background Numerous studies have reported a gradual decline in the practice of physical exercise with age, confirming high dropout rates in the adolescent period. The aim of this study was to investigate the motivation or barriers that lead to greater or lesser adherence to physical exercise among children and adolescents. Methods In this study, 1,081 individuals volunteered to participate [239 children (age: 10.89 ± .66 years) and 842 adolescents (age: 14.9 ± 1.75 years)]. For this purpose, we used the Self-Report on Motivation for Exercising (AMPEF) and Self-Report on Barriers to Exercising (ABPEF) questionnaires. Results The most significant motivational factors in the practice of physical exercise (in both children and adolescents) are competition, social recognition and challenge (t = -16.02, p < .001), prevention and positive health (t = 5.24, p < .001) and affiliation, fun and well-being (t = -19.54, p < .001), while the barriers focus on fatigue and laziness (t = -13.20, p < .001) and body image and physical-social anxiety (t = -5.71, p < .001). It is also observed that adolescents showed significantly higher motivation than children and greater presence of barriers in the practice of physical exercise. Conclusions The age is a determining variable to include in preventive and intervention programs for the practice of physical exercise.