Gender differences in preferences of individual and team sports in Polish adolescents

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of physical activity (PA) depends greatly on the options of executing preferable and favorite PA. Objective information about individual preferences in types of PA can support successful integration of adolescents into regular participation in PA. Defining the role of individual and team sports in regard to girls' and boys' sport preferences is a permanent problem that requires objective and continuous diagnostics. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship among girls' and boys' preferences in individual and team sports and further among these preferences and PA participation. METHODS: Online research was conducted in the Katowice region and 518 boys and 559 girls from the age of 15 to 17 years participated. All high schools in the region were called on for participation, but only schools that allowed the research examination participated. Sport preferences survey that participants completed online via INDARES system was used to diagnose preferences in individual and team sports. The results were analyzed using basic statistical procedures, the relationship was determined based on rank correlation coefficients and differences between orders of preferred sports were tested by Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: The most preferred individual sport in girls and boys is swimming, and that applies for all age groups. There is a very strong correlation (rs =.841-.895; p