ERIC Number: EJ1183021
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2160-1682
EISSN: N/A
Relationship of Enjoyment, Perceived Competence, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness to Physical Activity Levels of Elementary School Children
Eberline, Andrew; Judge, Lawrence W.; Walsh, Andy; Hensley, Larry D.
Physical Educator, v75 n3 p394-413 2018
Because of the continued increase in obesity rates and decrease in children's physical activity and fitness levels, this study investigated the relationship between habitual physical activity and perceived competence, enjoyment of physical activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness among upper elementary school children. This study used the FitnessGram PACER test to measure children's cardiorespiratory fitness, the Children's Physical Activity Correlates (CPAC) to measure perceived competence and enjoyment of physical activity, and the Physical Activity Questionnaire-Children (PAQ-C) to measure habitual physical activity. Results of a forced-entry multiple regression demonstrated that each predictor variable significantly predicted physical activity. The results of bivariate correlations also exhibited significant results. Enjoyment, perceived competence, and cardiorespiratory fitness were positively correlated with physical activity. These results support previous research and have many implications on elementary students. This study demonstrates that enjoyment is a significant variable in getting children to engage and persist in physical activity, providing support for the youth physical activity promotion model. These results provide support that school physical education programs need to be restructured to promote enjoyment and physical activity more effectively, ultimately to improve overall physical fitness in today's youth.
Descriptors: Children, Obesity, Physical Activities, Physical Activity Level, Physical Fitness, Elementary School Students, Correlation, Competence, Questionnaires, Multiple Regression Analysis, Predictor Variables, Self Efficacy, Student Motivation, Human Body, Grade 5, Student Attitudes, Psychological Patterns, Models, Statistical Analysis, Gender Differences
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iowa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A