Intention of practice, satisfaction with physical education and life by gender in Mexican and Spanish students

Abstract

The purposes of the present study were: 1) Assess the relationship between intention to practice physical activity in leisure time and physical education and life satisfaction; and 2) analyze the differences of the intention of practice physical activity in students' free time, satisfaction with physical education and life according to gender and origin. The participants of the study were 1137 Junior High School students belonging to public centers of Spain and Mexico. From the total sample, 457 were Mexican adolescents, of which 246 were girls and 210 boys. The rest of the sample was composed by 680 Spanish adolescents, 341 of which were girls and 339 boys. A questionnaire composed of the following scales was employed: Satisfaction with the Physical Education subject, Satisfaction with life and Intent of Practice of Physical Activity in Free Time. Descriptive statistical analysis with Spearman correlation and Mann-Whitney U test were applied according to the aims of the study and carried out with the SPSS v.22 software. The results showed significant differences in function of sex and country of origin. Additionally, a positive relationship between satisfaction with physical education and intention to practice, and a negative relationship between physical education boredom with the intention of practicing physical activity in free time were found.