Motivational factors for physical activity engagement among male students, futsal practitioners and non-practitioners, in Anapurus

Abstract

The objectives included identifying the school children involved and not involved in physical activity and futsal, identifying the factors that influence the practice of futsal and physical activity, and understanding which motivation is more predominant, whether intrinsic or extrinsic. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and descriptive approach was used for the study. The sample consisted of 192 school children, all male, with an average age of 13.6 ±1.21 years, enrolled in middle school. As a measurement instrument, a questionnaire adapted by the authors and the Motivation Inventory for Regular Physical or Sports Activities were used, which measures motivational factors at six levels: Stress Control, Health, Sociability, Competitiveness, Aesthetics, and Pleasure. In this study, differences in motivational factors were identified between school children who play futsal and those who do not. The mean and standard deviation results for the Stress Control category were 79.2 ±14.00 for practitioners and 78.1 ±16.5 for non-practitioners. For the Health category, the values were 84.9 ±12.4 for practitioners and 82.3 ±14.4 for non-practitioners. In Sociability, the values were 78.3 ±15.2 for practitioners and 76.3±15.9 for non-practitioners. In Competitiveness, practitioners scored 82.6 ±14.3, while non-practitioners scored 77.4 ±14.3. In Aesthetics, the values were 80.9 ±12.9 for practitioners and 78.7 ±15.4 for non-practitioners. Finally, for the Pleasure category, the results were 84.4 ±11.4 for practitioners and 80.7 ±14.6 for non-practitioners. Therefore, according to the data, we can observe that the health category was the most motivating for the young people among the groups, and the statistical difference suggests that participation in futsal may promote a greater sense of competitiveness among the studied youth.